


Fallen

by good_eviening



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien Dupain-Cheng - Freeform, Alternate Universe - M. Agreste AU, Alternate Universe - Role Reversal, Cross-Posted on Tumblr, Episode: s02 Gorizilla, Gabriel Agreste Is Not a Good Person, Gabriel Agreste's A+ Parenting, Gabriel is the literal worst, Gen, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Just role swap, Ladynoir friendship, Marinette Agreste - Freeform, Marinette Agreste Needs A Hug, Not personality swap, adrienette friendship, like he seriosuly contemplates just killing his daughter, marichat friendship, wth gabe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-08
Updated: 2019-09-21
Packaged: 2020-04-12 14:25:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 20,920
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19133875
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/good_eviening/pseuds/good_eviening
Summary: Sometimes, Gabriel Agreste wondered what it would be like if things were different.The idea was always a whisper in the back of his mind, but now it was louder.Now, it screamed in his ear, in his mind, as his daughter tumbled through the air, falling toward the ground, with him as the only one who could save her.As Marinette rocketed toward certain death, Gabriel couldn't ignore the cry in his ear to let her fall.Let her fall...





	1. Fallen (Gabriel/Hawkmoth)

**Author's Note:**

> [Tumblr](https://eviening-milady.tumblr.com/post/185442772753/m-agreste-au)
> 
>  
> 
> Go to my Tumblr for a full description and more on this AU (M. Agreste AU)!
> 
> I hope you enjoy this because I had fun writing this, honestly.
> 
> Edit: Okay so apparently the link isn't working so I'm just gonna paste the URL itself here if anyone wants to look at the AU.
> 
> https://eviening-milady.tumblr.com/post/185442772753/m-agreste-au

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Tumblr](https://eviening-milady.tumblr.com/post/185442772753/m-agreste-au)
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> This story takes place in my AU, the M. Agreste AU. You can find it on my Tumblr (above)

Gabriel Agreste stood pacing in his office. He had thoughts about something and he honestly wasn’t sure whether or not he wanted them to be true.

 

“Father?”

 

Gabriel looked up to the door of his office. He gestured for the girl to come in and she did, nodding gratefully.

 

“... There’s something I’d like to talk to you about,” she said, looking at the ground. “May I… May I have a few minutes of your time?”

 

“Of course,” Gabriel said, not looking up from his work.

 

“Really?”

 

“Nathalie will let you know as soon as I’m available.”

 

She sighed. “It’s fine. It’ll be too late, then.”

 

Gabriel nodded absently. He glanced up at his daughter and noticed how she reached up and fiddled with her left earring anxiously.

 

“Shouldn’t you be practicing your piano?”

 

“Yes, of course, Father.”

 

Gabriel watched his daughter go and thought for a moment as she did.

 

Marinette Agreste was an interesting person. She had been born with raven-black hair to two parents with blonde. Doctors confirmed through DNA testing that she was their child and called her an enigma. Gabriel hypothesized that the influence from the Bufferfly Miraculous had seeped through him and made her hair dark.

 

Marinette had inherited her blue eyes from her grandmother on her mother’s side, they were sure. Emilie had been disappointed, stating that Marinette would have looked lovely with blonde hair, but she had been positive just after, saying that her baby looked even more beautiful this way.

 

Gabriel’s daughter had not wanted to pick up on as many things as he wished for her to. Emilie, who had remembered being in public school in her own younger years, had insisted that they enlist Marinette into public school as soon as possible, and Gabriel had reluctantly agreed.

 

Gabriel’s attempts to get Marinette into modeling at a young age had failed immediately. Marinette was completely uninterested, not even entertaining the idea. Thankfully, she had picked up designing at a young age, and she was quite good at it as well. The future of _Gabriel_ was still hopeful.

 

And, so, Gabriel had picked up a different younger model. As Marinette tried to stay out of the spotlight, he grabbed up a young boy with much promise for the modeling trade by the name of Adrien Dupain-Cheng. Adrien reminded Gabriel painfully of Emilie. The boy looked just like her.

 

But, then again, so did Marinette.  


If the Dupain-Cheng boy reminded Gabriel of his wife, Marinette was like a punch to the stomach. She had Emilie’s smile. She had Emilie’s optimism. She had Emilie’s laugh and her straight-forward nature and her ability to draw people right in. Maybe that was one of the reasons why Gabriel had agreed to let Marinette have a regular childhood at public school. He had a big soft spot for his wife and Marinette reminded him so much of her.

 

Sometimes, though, Gabriel’s thoughts betrayed him.

 

Sometimes, Gabriel wished that the Adrien boy was his child instead of Marinette.

 

Marinette didn’t listen to anything or anyone. She wasn’t submissive, which was one reason why modeling would not have been a good path for her. Adrien, on the other hand, was a natural at modeling. He was soft-spoken, polite, and apparently obeyed everything the photographers threw at him.

 

Marinette would never be like that.

 

Her designs were professional, of course, but Gabriel hadn’t wanted her to be a designer. He _wanted_ her to be a model. Her features would have been perfect for it, but she just _wouldn’t_ _do it._

 

Marinette wasn’t the child Gabriel wanted her to be. She wasn’t a prowess at the piano, even if she _did_ practice. She wasn’t a fencing genius, even though she had all the training. She could fence well enough but didn’t meet Gabriel’s expectations at all. She did well in Chinese, actually, but it seemed like she was forcing herself to learn it and that apparently always annoyed the tutor.

 

Adrien, on the other hand, seemed to be doing all the things he had forced his daughter into, yet excelling at them.

 

Gabriel may not really ever talk to the boy, but his file on Adrien Dupain-Cheng was extensive nonetheless. Adrien was amazing at the piano. He was a fencing champion. He was near fluent in Chinese. He obeyed. He listened. He was everything that Marinette wasn’t.

 

He was everything that Gabriel wanted.

 

Gabriel loved his child. Of course, he did. In these days, Marinette was one of the only lights in the dark that he had.

 

But, sometimes, he admitted that she just wasn’t enough.

 

On some days, actually, Gabriel felt like he disliked Marinette more than he loved her.

 

He knew it was horrible, but he couldn’t deny the truth.

 

On some days, actually, Gabriel felt like he like Adrien more than he liked his own daughter.

 

On some days, Gabriel wished that things were different. He wished that Adrien Dupain-Cheng was his own child and that Marinette Agreste was the Dupain-Chengs’ instead.

 

As Gabriel looked at the earrings Ladybug wore and compared them to the ones that Marinette always wore in pictures these days, he felt something sinking in his stomach.

 

Another marking on the list as to why Gabriel Agreste didn’t like his daughter all that much apparently.

 

Then, the day went by quickly. The bodyguard was akumatized into Gorizilla and Gabriel took his chance. He had the Akuma snatch up his daughter and carry her around.

 

Ladybug didn’t show up.

 

He had Gorizilla climb to the top of a tower, still holding his daughter.

 

Ladybug didn’t show up.

 

Chat Noir fought with Gorizilla and managed to get Marinette out of the Akuma's grasp. He called to her to trust him, to jump. She listened without hesitation. Then, Gorizilla grabbed Chat Noir before he could go after Marinette.

 

Gabriel had Gorizilla hold the only person who could save his daughter captive, watching as Marinette fell down, down, down.

 

Ladybug didn’t show up.

 

“Come on, Mari. Come on, Mari,” Gabriel found himself muttering, using a nickname he hadn’t uttered since the months before Emilie ‘disappeared.’

 

But Marinette, falling through the sky, only closed her eyes. She seemed to be speaking to herself, but of course, no one could hear what she was saying.

 

Gabriel realized with horror that Marinette was not Ladybug. She wasn’t about to transform and save herself. That was it.

 

And, for one, terrible moment, he felt _glad_.

 

He felt _glad_ that maybe he could finally be free of the burden of his daughter. His child, who had always been such a hassle, who he loved, but maybe not enough.

 

Gabriel snapped out of it when he thought of Emilie with the girl. If he succeeded in bringing his wife back, she would never forgive him.

 

“Gorizilla, release Chat Noir!”

 

Chat Noir rocketed down and managed to snatch Marinette out of the air before she was nothing more than a splat on the pavement. He brought her away from Gorizilla and left her off somewhere in the city.

 

Gabriel sat back for a moment and breathed.

 

After seeing Marinette and Ladybug in the same spot, he breathed a bit easier. Then he felt even worse when he realized that he had almost let his daughter _die_ and he was almost _happy_ about it.

 

Gabriel pushed his chair out when Marinette got home and went off to speak to her.

 

“Would you like to watch a movie, Marinette?”

 

Marinette leaned into Gabriel a bit as they watched the movie. Emilie moved across the screen with all the grace and beauty that he remembered her having.

 

“Thank you for this, father,” Marinette breathed out when the movie ended. Gabriel was silent for a moment before he spoke.

 

“Of course.” Gabriel stood up and moved to the door of Marinette’s room. He glanced back at her to see that she was staring at the ground, seemingly lost in thought.

 

He left her room without another word.

 

As Gabriel settled into his office, Nooroo floated down and sat on the edge of the desk. Gabriel scowled.

 

“What?”

 

“I can’t believe you,” Nooroo said, not looking at Gabriel.

 

“What are you talking about?” Gabriel demanded.

 

“You almost killed your daughter.”

 

“Chat Noir would have caught her-”

 

“But what if he didn’t?” Nooroo exclaimed. He must have been feeling extra bold as he interrupted Gabriel. That was very unlike his soft-spoken nature.

 

Gabriel faltered before gritting his teeth and said, “Get out of my sight.”

 

Nooroo’s eyes widened, the courage seeping out of them, being replaced by fear. “Yes, Master!” He squeaked before zipping away.

 

Gabriel drummed his fingers across the desk and stared off into the distance. He was sure that luck would have it where his daughter was caught up in another Akuma attack at one point or another. Where the heroes would be tied up or captured and no one else would be there to save her.

 

Where Gabriel would be the only thing between his daughter and abrupt death.

 

And, for once, Gabriel Agreste was truly terrified.

 

Because, if that happened again, he didn’t know if he would choose to save his only daughter Marinette or not.


	2. Fallen (Adrien/Chat)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There was one moment in time when Adrien Dupain-Cheng promised himself that he would protect Marinette Agreste.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Tumblr](https://eviening-milady.tumblr.com/post/185442772753/m-agreste-au)
> 
>  
> 
> So...
> 
> I THINK the link works now...
> 
> Yeah...
> 
> So, uh, a lot of people wanted to see more of this, and, honestly, I wanted to write more, so here is 'Fallen' but in Adrien's/Chat's POV, so, uh, enjoy!

Chat’s day had been a complete mess so far.

 

Everything had started when he had been just walking, enjoying the rare day when he didn’t have a modeling gig taking up his time, only to literally crash into Marinette. She’d become just as flustered as she always was around him and explained that she was trying to get to the cinema but couldn’t lose the bodyguard.

 

He had, of course, agreed to help her. They eventually lost the bodyguard and managed to make it in time to see the movie. Adrien had watched as the old movie started and a woman that he of course recognized as his boss’s missing wife appeared on the screen.

 

Adrien had turned to Marinette to see her looking up at the woman in wonder, her eyes wide and sparkling.

 

“That’s your mom?” Adrien asked.

 

Marinette hadn’t even glanced at him as she nodded beneath the helmet she wore. “That’s my mom.”

 

Adrien had never seen Marinette look at anything or anyone as softly nor as longing as she did her mother moving across the screen.

 

He noticed a moment later that she was crying.

 

“Mari…” He hesitated. “Are you… Are you okay?”

 

She hastily wiped her tears away and her cheeks grew red. “I just…” She faltered. “I just really miss her.”

 

Adrien had nodded and fallen silent.

 

Then, Marinette’s bodyguard had ended up being akumatized for some reason (he had felt a bit guilty because, honestly, it was probably because of him and Mari). Gorizilla had then grabbed up Marinette and carried her around, seemingly determined to not let her go.

 

Well, _that_ made things even harder for him.

 

Marinette actually held herself pretty well despite being dragged around by a giant Akuma, if Adrien did say so himself. She seemed very calm the entire time, even a bit annoyed as if this whole thing was just an interruption to her day rather than an actual dangerous situation.

 

Adrien didn’t know whether he admired that or not.

 

Adrien really admired Marinette, if he was being honest, and he was also a bit jealous of her, actually.

 

Marinette had an oppressive home life, like him. Sure, his parents tried to give him as much free time as they could, but it just wasn’t possible because Monsieur Agreste was always giving him a new schedule that was even more demanding of him.

 

Adrien had been forced to be _homeschooled_ before this year just because his job had been too demanding and taken up too much time before now for him to feasibly fit in any time for normal school activities. Like homework.

 

After entering school (finally), Adrien realized how much he wanted to just be _normal_. He understood that it wasn’t going to happen (ever) because he was already famous and, therefore, _would_ always be famous after all the modeling he’d done, but he still wished to have a normal schedule, like a normal teen.

 

He wished he didn’t have to rush off from school half the time and not hang out with his friends because of modeling gigs.

 

He wished he didn’t have to miss school way too often just for this job that he kinda didn’t even want to do anymore.

 

He wished he had more time for things he really enjoyed, like physics, and fencing, and just hanging out with his friends without the constant weight of another photoshoot coming up pressing down on his shoulders.

 

Adrien didn’t tell his parents any of these things, of course. He didn’t need them thinking that he was ungrateful for them driving him to gigs every day. They already worked so hard at the bakery and still found time for him. He didn’t want to have to put anything more on them.

 

And everything found its way back to Marinette. She was so confined, yet so _free_. Even if she was constantly watched, always brought back home at a certain time unless given specific permission _hours_ before, she still had _time_. Sure, Marinette was confined in her room, but she could do _whatever_. She felt _free_ in her room.

 

As Chat, Adrien had _seen_ it.

 

Adrien was barely ever in his room. He was always alone during shoots to the point where he only did his homework in the living room, or, more commonly, the kitchen of the bakery downstairs, or even the bakery itself. He’d perch himself on empty space at the end of the counter or sit in a chair in the corner of the kitchen and watch as customers came in and out or as his father moved deftly, mixing and baking, as his mother’s cheerful voice ran out from the front room as she spoke to people. Adrien loved it. He just wanted to be close to people.

 

The result was that Adrien was barely ever in his room and, therefore, it had next to no personality. The walls were a dull gray. His parents had asked if he wanted to paint it and Adrien had agreed. He had just never been able to get around to it.

 

Unfortunately.

 

Marinette was often stuttery in front of him for the first few minutes of talking to him, but after that, she’d be fine. He talked to her once about his habits for doing homework near his family and Marinette had smiled and said that he was simply starved for company. He wanted someone near him, he wanted to feel loved because even if he _knew_ he was loved, he still wanted the presence of other people to _know_ that.

 

Adrien had nodded, and admitted to himself that her words sounded scarily accurate.

 

Adrien admired Marinette for other reasons too, though.

 

She was strong. Adrien had gone over to her house quite a few times actually (he guessed it was easier for him to be let in just because he worked for _Gabriel_ ) and he had to admit that her room had more character than the rest of the house combined.

 

“ _Your father let you paint your room?_ ” Adrien had asked the first time he had gone over there because he honestly couldn’t imagine Gabriel Agreste agreeing to any color for the walls other than white or gray.

 

Marinette had shaken her head and grinned wickedly. “ _No._ ”

 

Adrien had blinked. “ _Then why is it painted?_ ”

 

“ _He said no_. _I did it anyway_.”

 

Adrien had decided right then to never get on Marinette Agreste’s bad side.

 

He knew that Marinette was holding in more than she looked, though. He had been out on patrol on a night when it was just him, and he passed by the Agreste house and heard knocking from one of the windows. He had turned to see Marinette standing there, pounding on her window, staring at him.

 

Chat had looked at her for a moment before carefully going toward her.

 

She had opened the window and let him in.

 

“ _Hey, Marinette_ ,” Chat had said. It was feasible for him to remember her from Evillustrator, right?

 

 _"Hey, Chat_ ,” Marinette had mumbled, moving back from him and sitting on her couch. The room was bathed in soft orange and pink light from the sheets that Marinette had draped across the room. There was walking room, plus a few feet, below the sheets, and it looked sort of like a giant blanket fort. It was interesting.

 

“ _Why are those sheets there?_ ” Chat asked, gesturing up at the things draped over like a make-shift ceiling.

 

“ _To be like a ceiling_ ,” she had responded, not looking up from the floor to him. “ _The normal ceiling’s too tall._ ” She wrapped her arms around herself a bit _. “Makes me feel too small_ …”

 

Chat had been silent for a moment before moving toward her a bit and asking, “ _Mari, what's wrong?_ ”

 

Marinette had closed her eyes and Chat noticed, shocked, that a few tears rolled down her cheeks.

 

“ _Mari…?_ ”

 

“ _T_ _here are no cameras in here_ ,” Marinette had said. “ _You would think there would be, but there aren’t_.” She had wiped hastily at the tears on her face, but they kept coming, and eventually, she gave up. “ _You would think he would care enough about me to have cameras in my room, right? There are cameras in_ every other room in this stupid house _, because those rooms all have valuables._ ” He had seen her grit her teeth, clearly trying to hold sobs in _._ “ _Am I not… Chat, am I not valuable enough to him?_ ”

 

Chat hadn’t known how to respond.

 

“ _I just_ …” Marinette stopped, or maybe her voice had given out for a moment. “ _I know… I_ know _that there are people out there… people who have it_ so _much worse than I do, but… I can’t help but… Is it selfish to ask for more?_ ” She had looked up at Chat and his heart had broken at her puffy red eyes staring into his own green ones. She looked so hurt. She looked so desperate. She looked so… so _broken_. “ _Is it selfish to ask for my father to… to_ love _me?_ ”

 

That was the moment that Adrien had decided that he was going to do anything he could to protect Marinette Agreste.

 

When Ladybug had come to Chat and told him that Gabriel Agreste was probably Hawkmoth, he had refused to believe it, because, first of all, that was his _boss_ , but also, Marinette _needed_ her father. Chat was _sure_ that their relationship could still be fixed, but that couldn’t happen if Ladybug was sure that Gabriel was Hawkmoth and then went after him to prove it.

 

Then, Gabriel was akumatized, and Chat had nothing to worry about because Hawkmoth would _never_ akumatize himself.

 

Adrien had always trusted Gabriel anyway.

 

Even if he wasn’t that great to his daughter.

 

He trusted him.

 

Chat managed to hit Gorizilla right on the wrist, releasing Marinette from the Akuma's hold.

 

“Run, Marinette!” He called. “Jump, I’ll catch you!”

 

She glanced back at him for just a moment.

 

“Trust me!”

 

She stared at him before seeming to steel her resolve and nodding. “Of course.” She turned and, without hesitation, sprinted toward the edge of the roof, dodging Gorizilla’s attempt to grab her before leaping off the edge.

 

Chat made to follow her, jumping over the edge as well, when he was snatched out of the air by the Akuma behind him.

 

“ _No!_ ” Chat yelled, looking down and watching as Marinette fell. He felt his heart stop and he struggled to escape, but he couldn’t angle his baton correctly to force the hand open because of how tight the Akuma's grip was.

 

“ _Marinette!_ ” Chat called. He looked around desperately for Ladybug. “ _Ladybug!_ ” He felt like he was going to cry. He had promised himself he’d keep Marinette safe because it seemed that no one else was going to, and yet here he was. Helpless as she plummeted to her death, thinking that he was going to save her when he _couldn’t_ …

 

“ _I’m sorry Mari…_ ” He breathed out under his breath to himself. He could hear, distantly, in his head, that Plagg was upset too. It was quiet, probably muted by the kwami himself, but it was there.

 

Then, suddenly, Gorizilla released him.

 

Chat had no time to cheer. He straightened himself to go downward, rocketing through the air as he soared toward Marinette. Finally, he shot his baton down as he neared her and moved over, snatching her out of the air at what was probably no more than a hundred feet above the ground.

 

Marinette breathed deeply, he could feel it against his body as he held her and carried her toward safety.

 

He didn’t mention it when she turned her face into his shoulder and silently began to cry.

 

When Ladybug showed up later, Chat said nothing to her, just making sure that she promised to meet him at the Eiffel Tower that night after the Akuma was wrapped up.

 

That night, when the city of Paris was covered in lights, the stars above twinkling down on them, Chat met Ladybug on the top deck of the Eiffel Tower.

 

“Hey, Chaton,” Ladybug said when she landed next to him. “What-”

 

“Where were you?”

 

Ladybug looked a bit taken aback by his aggressive words as he interrupted her.

 

“... What?”

 

“Don’t ‘What?’ me, where _were you_?”

 

“I honestly have no clue what you’re talking about, Chat,” Ladybug said. She moved forward and placed a hand on his shoulder. “What-”

 

Chat ripped himself away from her the moment her fingers touched him. He glared at her and breathed heavily as she retracted her hand back toward her body. She looked hurt, and he felt guilty, but he was too upset right now to care.

 

“Where were you today?” He demanded. “Why were you so late?”

 

She sighed. “I had… prior arrangements… that I couldn’t get out of until later.”

 

“Are you kidding me?!” Chat exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air. “You had _prior arrangements?!_ There was an _Akuma_ for god’s sake!” He lowered his hands and looked in her eyes. “Marinette almost _died_ today.”

 

Ladybug took a step back. “What?”

 

“One of my _best friends_ almost died today!” Chat exclaimed. “I care about her _so much_ , and she almost _died_. What if I hadn’t gotten there in time? Huh? You weren’t there and I was grabbed up by the Akuma, and that would have been that. She would have been dead and it would have been on _you_ and _me_ , because I couldn’t get to her and you weren’t there at _all_.”

 

Ladybug reached out to him and he stepped back.

 

“Paris seems safe. Let’s cancel patrol tonight. You look tired, anyway.” Ladybug nodded in agreement. “I’m gonna go see Marinette for a minute.”

 

He jumped over the edge of the tower before she could say a single word.

 

Marinette’s window was open when he got there. He slid down and jumped into the opening near the windows in the top of the sheets.

 

“Mari-”

 

Before he could say anything, Marinette was on him, wrapping him in an embrace. She was crying, and Chat didn't realize that he was too until she whispered.

 

“It’s okay, Chaton… I’m okay…”

 

And that was the moment that Adrien knew…

 

He would  _die_ for this girl...


	3. Fallen (Marinette/Ladybug)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette Agreste had never felt safe in her whole life...
> 
> Until she met Chat...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Tumblr](https://eviening-milady.tumblr.com/post/185442772753/m-agreste-au)
> 
> All right, it's been a while, but here we are with Marinette's point of view! I know a few of you were really looking forward to this one, so I hope you enjoy. It's longer than the other two parts combined!
> 
> Find the description for the AU this takes place in at my Tumblr (above)

Marinette Agreste’s life, had, in essence, kinda been pretty shitty recently.

 

Well, if she was being perfectly honest, it had  _ always _ been like that.

 

It just got worse over the last two-and-a-half years.

 

Everything had started on that fateful day two-and-a-half years ago when Marinette came home from school a few days after her mother left for a trip to Tibet to help out some sort of humanitarian organization for a few weeks. Everything had seemed normal. The Gorilla had dropped her off and Nathalie had brought her inside, but both seemed a bit… off…

 

It wasn’t one of Marinette’s days for freedom. Those were designated throughout the week, and even then she had to confirm plans hours before to make sure that she was allowed to go. 

 

More to make sure that they could watch her every step of the way.

 

Marinette had taken a few steps inside, Nathalie closing the door behind her, and had made to go to her room (the only place in the house she actually felt at  _ home _ ) when Nathalie cleared her throat.

 

Marinette had turned around immediately, a skill ground into her since a young age. “ _ Yes, Nathalie? _ ”

 

“ _ Your father wishes to speak with you, Marinette. _ ”

 

Marinette had furrowed her eyebrows but nodded. “ _ Okay _ .” Her father never did this.

 

Nathalie had led her to Gabriel’s office and opened the door for her before gesturing for her to go in and then closing the door behind her.

 

“ _ Marinette… _ ”

 

“ _ Good afternoon, father _ .” Marinette may not like her father all that much, but she knew better than to not speak with respect when in his presence.

 

“ _ Sit. _ ”

 

Marinette had moved forward carefully, taking a seat in front of her father’s desk.

 

“ _ What is it? _ ”

 

Gabriel had sighed and not looked her in the eye, instead choosing to stare out the window as he responded, “ _ It’s about your mother… _ ”

 

Marinette had furrowed her eyebrows. Her mother had only been gone for a few days, and whenever she went on these trips, Gabriel and herself tended to do their best to avoid confrontation with one another. Emilie had always been the loving glue that held this family together. 

 

“ _ What about her? _ ” Marinette had asked. “ _ Did something happen? Does she have to come home early or something and you want me to prepare to greet her…? _ ”

 

Marinette remembered feeling some sort of sinking feeling in her stomach as her father had sighed, wiped his glasses with a cloth, adjusted them on his face, and turned to her to say, “ _ Something  _ did _ happen… _ ” He paused and Marinette had started when she saw, for the first time, a tear leaking from her father’s face.

 

Marinette’s eyes had widened and she had felt a sinking feeling in her stomach. “ _ What is it? _ ” When Gabriel hadn’t responded immediately, instead turning away from her, Marinette had stormed forward, her face burning, grabbing her father by the sleeve and whirling him around to face her. She grasped him by the shoulders, looking up desperately into his eyes, searching for any sign that he was (for the first time in his life) joking.

 

She found nothing. 

 

“ _ Where is Maman? _ ”

 

Gabriel was silent for another moment, staring passively into his daughter’s face before he spoke one word with more emotion than she had ever heard from him before. “ _ Gone _ .”

 

Marinette had seen red. The one person,  _ the one person _ in the world who she knew  _ actually loved her _ was  _ gone _ . 

 

Marinette’s face was suddenly wet, and she had realized, vaguely, that she was crying. Tears had streamed down her face and she had begun to suddenly whack at her father. At any other time, her father would have fought back immediately, stopped her with the first hit, but he was broken enough at the time from the loss of the one person  _ he _ had ever loved, and let her go. 

 

Her hits weren’t that strong, anyway.

 

And she was grounded for a month right after, too.

 

So that was fun.

 

Marinette had been forced to alternate days at school during that time, too. He knew that Marinette loved being at school  _ more _ than being at home (which wasn’t much, either way), and he apparently wanted to squeeze all the happiness that he could while she was grounded. This had forced her to only go to school on Tuesdays and Thursdays, picking up the work for the other three school days whenever she was in, which she would do on the days off. 

 

Marinette had hated it.

 

School had never been particularly fun for her, either.

 

Marinette had never been that ‘interesting rich kid’ because she had been in public school since the very beginning, the result of her mother putting her foot down to Gabriel when she was very young. Marinette thought that Gabriel probably  _ liked _ having her in public school as she got older (and more rebellious) though, because, besides the fact that he didn’t have to see her as often, he also  _ always had that _ to hold over her head.

 

The one time she could be free of him and he  _ still used it against her _ .

 

Of course,  _ everyone _ knew who Gabriel Agreste was. He  _ was _ one of the biggest names in Paris, after all. Marinette had figured out at a  _ very young age _ who her father was and what that meant. So, when she entered public school for the first time, she had kept her head down. She tried to not be noticed as Gabriel Agreste’s daughter.

 

It had worked for a few years, with people just assuming that she happened to have the same last name as the famous designer until she had transferred schools around age nine when the family moved to a new house ( _more like_   _a_   _mansion_ , she thought bitterly). She had walked into her new class on the first day, and remembered her heart _stopping_ when she had seen the one, the only… _Chloe Bourgeois_ …

 

Marinette had met Chloe before, of course, at the many fashion shows that she was  _ forced _ to attend. As Marinette got further and further into designing, she had liked the shows more and more, but when she was young, she despised them. At least she had always had her mother there to make them better. Marinette had been allowed to sit backstage while her mother was modeling the pieces, talking to the woman through the curtain of the dressing room as she changed outfits. 

 

At one show, though, Emilie was sick, and a seven-year-old Marinette hadn’t been able to give any good reason for her to be backstage, so Gabriel had sat her down in the front row.

 

Right next to  _ Chloe Bourgeois _ .

 

The rest was, basically, history.

 

Chloe had sneered at Marinette the moment the dark-haired girl sat next to her, just because Marinette’s jeans weren’t  _ Gabriel _ brand (actually, they  _ were _ , but they were a piece that hadn’t  _ come out yet _ , so  _ shut up, Chloe _ ). “ _ Ugh, commoners coming in here wearing anything  _ but _ the brand of the show is just a disgrace _ ,” the mayor’s daughter had muttered under her breath

 

In another life, Marinette might have been startled by this rich, snobby bitch, but not in this one.  _ Not in this one _ .

 

Marinette had looked at Chloe with a raised eyebrow (one that was perfectly done, thanks to Emilie, who was  _ never _ too sick to do the perfect makeup). “ _ Excuse me? Do you have a problem with me? If so, you could always say it to my face. _ ”

 

Chloe had scoffed, looking affronted as her eyes met Marinette’s. “ _ Excuse you? Do you  _ know _ who you’re talking to?! _ ”

 

Oh, Marinette did, she  _ definitely _ did. Chloe Bourgeois had a  _ bit _ of a reputation around the whole of the city, especially in the ‘higher-crowd’ (Marinette still hated the idea of being a part of that ‘crowd’).

 

“ _ My daddy will have  _ yours _ out of business before you can even blink, peasant! _ ” Chloe had exclaimed, having broken through Marinette’s thoughts with her shrill tone. Marinette had wondered in the back of her mind how a seven-year-old could be  _ this _ spoiled as she prepared herself to speak.

 

“ _ Will he now? _ ” Marinette had asked, not amused in the slightest.

 

Chloe had nodded earnestly. “And _ he’ll have you out of here as soon as I tell him to! _ ”

 

Marinette had  _ laughed _ , actually _ laughed _ at how  _ idiotic _ this girl was. 

 

“ _ I think you’ll have a hard time with both of your goals _ ,” Marinette had said when her giggles had ceased.

 

“ _ And why’s that? _ ” Chloe had demanded. Marinette, though she was young, had about had enough of this girl’s shit. Marinette saw Gabriel walk onto the stage, a clipboard in his hand, as he prepared to do a final check before the show started. Marinette had smirked.  _ Oh, this was  _ too _ good _ .

 

“ _ This is why _ .” Chloe had watched as Marinette had turned to her pacing father on stage and waved with more energy than was probably necessary. “ _ Bonjour, Papa! _ ”

 

Marinette  _ never _ called her father ‘ _ Papa _ ,’ and that word on her lips was probably what got Gabriel to turn around in the first place. He had looked a little stunned but had probably been so caught up in his work that he had given a small wave in return and said, “ _ Bonjour, Marinette _ ,” before he had walked away, turned back to his clipboard, and ignored her once again.

 

It was never  _ fun _ to be ignored by her father, but he had responded better than the young girl had hoped for. Chloe had been  _ mortified _ . The next time they were forced to sit beside one another, a few months later, they had, silently, agreed that they were now  _ mortal enemies _ . Thankfully, they hadn’t been forced together that often at the shows in the future.

 

But then Marinette transferred into Chloe’s classroom when they were nine.

 

And everything went downhill.

 

Marinette had considered, in the months after Emilie disappeared, asking her father to just take her out of school altogether (like she knew he had always secretly wanted to), especially when she actually found herself  _ happier _ at home doing her schoolwork than at school, what with Chloe’s teasing and the fact that her mother was no longer there to make her feel better when she got home.

 

But Marinette never asked him. She wouldn’t. She would push through this.

 

Because Marinette Agreste was  _ not _ a quitter.

 

So, Marinette stuck it out. She worked herself harder than imaginable and her grades went up. Her father was actually  _ satisfied _ with her work for once, but it changed nothing. He just told her to work harder at the piano. At fencing. At Chinese. Marinette was quite proud of her fencing abilities as well as her skills at Chinese. The piano… yeah, she wasn’t as good at that. But she was decent.

 

It never mattered anyway. 

 

It was never good enough.

 

Marinette had never had any friends in school. She had learned pretty quickly that anyone who knew who she was beforehand and tried to be friends with her was probably just trying to use her.

 

Too bad for them.

 

She had known that people were just going to use her since  _ day one _ .

 

But then, suddenly, Marinette was in Caline Bustier’s class, and everything changed.

 

She met Alya, and Alya didn’t care that she was  _ Marinette Agreste _ . She didn’t want her to be  _ Marinette Agreste, daughter of Gabriel Agreste _ . She just wanted her to be  _ Marinette _ .

 

She summoned up the confidence that she had always had, but had forced down in favor of staying in the background, and did more with her life than she ever thought she could.

 

And, she met  _ Adrien _ . 

 

Marinette knew Adrien Dupain-Cheng. Not personally, of course, but she knew that he was her father’s favorite model. In fact, Marinette was quite sure that Gabriel might like  _ Adrien _ more than  _ her _ . Then, even if she had never met this  _ Adrien _ , she resented him.

 

So, when she walked in on her first day of school to see the one and only  _ Adrien Dupain-Cheng _ putting  _ gum on her seat _ , she reached a sudden boiling point in her non-existant relationship with the boy, storming forward and telling him that she didn’t care who he was, she didn’t care. She had dealt with Chloe for long enough to know how people acted when they had everything handed to them on a silver platter. She admitted, later, that she was probably overreacting a bit, but she had been so caught up in the moment (and the fact that it was very plausible that her father cared for this boy more than he cared for her) that she hadn’t thought anything through.

 

Then, later, Adrien had spoken to her again and given her his umbrella before hopping into an awaiting car (probably for a modeling gig), leaving her stunned, flustered, and very much in love.

 

In another life, Marinette might not have been able to get a single word out in front of Adrien once she had developed a crush on him. In this one, though, Marinette had been forced to have ingrained confidence since before she could even talk. She had been forced to speak to people with so much power, authority, and money, that she wasn’t fazed by pretty much  _ anything _ . If she was able to speak to people who probably could have her killed  _ and _ cover it up, she could talk to a boy who modeled for her father that she happened to have a crush on.

 

And so, she did. In fact, the most ‘weakness’ she would show when speaking to Adrien would be a slight blush, maybe a stutter if he surprised her and she started talking before she managed to get her bearings. It wasn’t much, but she always was so  _ very _ embarrassed that this  _ random model _ managed to shake her more than some of her country’s most powerful people.

 

It was  _ very _ embarrassing.

 

Marinette tried to watch that movie that her mother was in whenever they played it in that old cinema (which was once a year, and she always tried to be there  _ on the day _ . She never made it in time). It was that time of year again. Her father never seemed to want to let her see it anyway.

 

That was when she had run straight into Adrien.

 

She got flustered by the sudden appearance of her crush. She had recovered quickly when he asked her, “Mari? What are you doing?”

 

“I’m trying to see this movie but today isn’t one of my free days so my bodyguard is chasing me and I can’t lose him and will you help me?”

 

Adrien looked surprised before he nodded. “Of course.”

 

Marinette had smiled, though she felt her cheeks heat more as she stared at him. “Thanks.”

 

She saw the Gorilla turn onto their street out of the corner of her eye. She looked at the hulking man and Adrien followed her gaze. A moment later, his hand was wrapped around her wrist and they were running through the streets of Paris, hand in hand. 

 

A while passed in a blur as they moved, both ending up in some strange disguises at some point before they had lost Gorilla and were in the cinema. Marinette had barely settled into her seat, Adrien shifting beside her when the movie started. She looked up desperately and watched as her mother appeared on the screen.

 

Emilie Agreste was just as beautiful as Marinette remembered her being. She watched her mother move across the screen with as much grace and beauty as she had had in life. 

 

“That’s your mom?” Adrien asked quietly, and Marinette realized at that moment, vaguely, that he was watching her. 

 

She nodded minutely, still staring up at the screen. “That’s my mom.”

 

Marinette felt tears stream down her face before even noticing that it was happening. 

 

“Mari…” She heard Adrien whisper. “Are you… Are you okay?”

 

Marinette had hastily wiped at her tears. She felt her cheeks heat. She had forced a mask up the day her mother disappeared. She would  _ not _ show weakness. The only person who even knew  _ anything _ about her inner turmoil was her partner. Chat Noir. She nodded. “I just…” She paused for a moment, thinking of the right words. “I just really miss her.”

 

She saw Adrien nod and fall silent.

 

The Gorilla was akumatized into Gorizilla a bit of time later. Marinette thought, in the back of her mind, that it was probably her fault. Well, maybe that thought was more in the forefront of her mind as she was paraded around the city, the akumatized bodyguard holding tight on her. Besides the fact that it was utterly humiliating (and a little terrifying), it also meant that she couldn’t transform. She couldn’t stop the fear that set into her at the idea of her partner, Chat, doing this all on his own.

 

“Hey, there, Marinette.” Speak of the devil.

 

Chat swung into view, settling on a building in front of Gorizilla, balancing on his baton as he gazed at the Akuma. “Huh. You’re big.”

 

Gorizilla roared and swiped his free hand at Chat. The hero leaped out of the way of the hand, landing on another rooftop.

 

“How’s it going, Mari?” Chat asked as if this was just a normal conversation as he swerved away from another angry swipe.

 

“I’ve been better,” she shrugged. “You know how it is.”

 

Chat nodded, jumping right over the Akuma and landing on the other side of him. Marinette turned her head to watch her partner touch down.

 

“Yeah, I’d think that this wouldn’t be your preferred way to spend the day.”

 

Marinette resisted a scowl. He was right, after all. She would  _ much rather  _ be watching a movie about her mother with Adrien instead.

 

_ Thanks a lot, Papa _ .

 

During the situation with Volpina all those months ago, Marinette had figured out that her father was Hawkmoth. It had hurt, of course, but the hurt was quickly replaced with anger. How  _ dare he _ do that to this city? He caused this city  _ so much pain _ . And for what?

 

Marinette  _ knew _ what it was for, though.

 

Her mother.

 

As soon as she had connected all the dots and remembered what happened when the Ladybug and Black Cat miraculous were used together, she  _ knew _ that her father intended to use them to bring her mother back. It was the only thing that made sense. Bring back the one person he had ever loved, the one person who had made them complete. Who had made them a  _ family. _

 

She doubted her father knew he had to give something equal in return.

 

Or…

 

Maybe he did.

 

And he just didn’t  _ care _ .

 

Gorizilla brought Marinette to the top of one of the tallest buildings in the city when Chat finally managed to get the drop on him. The Akuma's hand opened and Marinette slipped out of his grasp, tumbling onto the rooftop below.

 

“Run, Marinette!” Chat called, his familiar voice breaking through the air. “Jump, I’ll catch you!”

 

Marinette knew that she could trust her partner, but he was asking a  _ lot _ of her.  _ Jump off the top of a building? Out of the suit? _

 

“Trust me!”

 

That had been the only encouragement she needed. She turned back and locked eyes with her partner. She steeled her resolve and nodded, a smirk appearing on her face. “Of course.” Marinette turned and ran to the edge of the building and didn’t stop. She dodged Gorizilla’s desperate attempts to grab her before leaping off the edge of the building altogether and falling down, down, down.

 

Falling was a weird thing, Marinette realized.

 

She noticed, vaguely, that Gorizilla had grabbed Chat out of the air as he made to follow her.

 

“No!” She heard Chat yell. “Marinette!” There was a pause, and then he yelled, “Ladybug!”

 

Tikki poked her head out of Marinette’s purse, which was flapping in front of her as she fell through the air. Marinette cracked a smile and shook her head. Tikki frowned but ducked back into the bag and out of sight.

 

Marinette  _ knew _ what her father was looking for as he let her fall to her death. This morning, he had questioned her about her earrings, and she  _ knew _ that he suspected that she was Ladybug.

 

This was his way of finding out, she assumed.

 

He thought that, if she had no other choice, she would transform, and prove to him, and everyone, that she was Ladybug.

 

_ Jokes on him _ , she thought, snorting.

 

She would rather  _ die _ than reveal herself to her father.

 

As Marinette fell, though, she had the terrifying realization that if she  _ didn’t _ transform, her father might  _ actually let her die _ .

 

That was a scary thought.

 

Marinette steeled herself, though. She knew what she had signed up for, and things had changed even more when she found out who Hawkmoth was. She wasn’t going to reveal herself, not to Hawkmoth. She was going to die and no one would know who she really was.

 

She wondered if Master Fu would tell Chat Noir her identity when she was gone.

 

She wondered who would be the new Ladybug.

 

“Make sure the next Ladybug takes care of him, Tikki,” Marinette whispered as her kwami made her way up her shirt and poked out of her collar.

 

Tikki had tears streaming down her small, red face. “ _ Please _ , Marinette.  _ Please _ transform. I don’t want to lose you. Not yet.”

 

“You were one of the best friends a girl could ask for,” Marinette said, ignoring Tikki’s pleas. “Thank you.”

 

“ _ Please _ , Marinette.”

 

Tikki’s cries fell on deaf ears. Marinette reached up and tucked Tikki down and away, refusing to look back down again, lest she sees the desperate eyes of her kwami.

 

She looked up to the sky, and forced herself to turn over in the air, so she was facing the endless blue horizon rather than the ever-closing ground.

 

“Huh. I never got to tell Adrien I loved him.” She let out a small, bitter laugh. “Figures.”

 

She paused again before saying, “I never got to punch Chloe in the face for being an eternal bitch, either. That’s disappointing.” Marinette could feel Tikki desperately using her magic to try and slow her descent. It wouldn’t save Marinette, but it would give her time to air her grievances, at least.

 

“I never told Chat how much he meant to me. I wonder how he’ll fare without me to risk his life for.”

 

“I never told Alya my identity. If the news ever finds out who I am once I’m gone, she’s gonna have a fit.”

 

Marinette’s wandering eyes moved to a cloud floating across the sky. She remembered her mother, going outside in the courtyard, laying a blanket out, and just watching clouds together. Sometimes Emilie would force Gabriel out as well. Those were some of the only times Marinette remember being  _ happy _ . As a  _ family _ .

 

She wondered if her mother would be just as beautiful as she was in life when she saw her again.

 

Marinette thought of her father, suddenly. Her father, who was a horrible man, who terrorized the city, who was about to be the reason she  _ died _ .

 

And, yet, she still loved him, somewhere.

 

Somewhere, deep inside, Gabriel wasn’t just her  _ father _ . He was her  _ Papa _ … And she  _ loved him _ .

 

She scowled for a moment. It seemed the feeling wasn’t mutual.

 

Marinette let a smile take over her face, though, as faces flashed through her mind. She knew the ground must be getting closer and closer. Just a moment more, then that was it.

 

She found that she wasn’t scared anymore.

 

Maybe that was Tikki’s influence.

 

Who knows? 

 

She didn’t care.

 

“ _ I’m sorry, Alya. I didn’t mean to leave before telling you. Please forgive me, and don’t go crazy at Chat for not saving me. It’s not his fault.” _

 

_ “I’m sorry, Chat. I hope you’re all right with the fact that your partner is just a rich little girl who’s too bitter for the world. I’ll miss you. You were a great partner. And stop being so self-sacrificing, you idiot _ .”

 

“ _ Adrien, I’ve loved since you gave me that umbrella. Thanks for everything. Thanks for existing, thanks for just… being there. You’re the best. I hope you find happiness one day. _ ”

 

“ _ Maman… I miss you. I can’t wait to see you again. I hope you forgive me for coming so soon _ .”

 

“ _ Papa… _ ”

 

She paused in her murmurings before flipping over and watching the rapidly-approaching ground. She closed her eyes and spoke what were definitely her final words.

 

“ _I l_ _ oved you too, Papa _ . _See you later._ ”

 

She braced herself for a crash into the ground that never came. She suddenly felt an arm around her waist and she looked up to see Chat. His arm was wrapped protectively around her, holding her to his chest tightly as they rocketed through the city to safety.

 

Marinette felt the weight of everything that had just happened.

 

She had almost  _ died _ .

 

Because of her  _ father _ .

 

Marinette felt her heart sink and her stomach drop. She suddenly had the urge to make herself as small as possible as she curled into her partner. Marinette took deep breaths and attempted to calm herself before she closed her eyes, rested her head on his shoulder, and started to cry.

 

If Chat noticed the tears dripping onto his leather suit, he didn’t say so as they moved over the rooftops and away from the raging Akuma.

 

Later that afternoon, after the Akuma was dealt with, Gabriel appeared in Marinette’s room.

 

And they watched the movie with her mother in it together.

 

Marinette pressed into her father a bit. She didn’t know what  _ he _ thought of it, but she was mostly just trying to make him feel as guilty as possible for what he had almost done.

 

That night, Marinette had transformed and set off to meet her partner for patrol, at their meeting spot on the top deck of the Eiffel Tower.

 

“Hey, Chaton,” Ladybug said cheerfully as she touched down next to her partner. She felt a little guilty that she had forced him to deal with the Akuma alone for so long, so maybe a bit of cheer would, well, cheer him up. “What-”

 

“Where were you?”

 

Ladybug was startled by his interjection. His words were cold, hard, lacking any of their usual tones.

 

“...What?”

 

“Don’t ‘What?’ me, where  _ were you _ ?”

 

Ladybug blinked and moved forward a bit, placing a hand on his shoulder in hopes of calming him. “I honestly have no clue what you’re talking about, Chat. What-”

 

Chat, for once, ripped himself away from her the moment her fingers landed on his shoulder. He whirled around and glared at her, breathing heavily. She pulled her hand back to her body, feeling as if she was burned. What had she done t make her partner  _ this _ angry with her?

 

“Where were you today?” He asked though it sounded more like a demand than anything. “Why were you so late?” Ah, the Akuma attack. So  _ that _ was what this was about.

 

Ladybug sighed and thought through her options before going with the vaguest but realistic answer. “I had… prior arrangements… that I couldn’t get out of until later.” Well, it wasn’t a total lie, but the arrangements weren’t very ‘prior’ at all.

 

“Are you kidding me?!” Chat exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air. Ladybug watched him in shock. She had never seen him this upset. “You had  _ prior arrangements?!  _ There was an  _ Akuma _ for god’s sake!” His hands fell and he seemed to think of something before turning to her, his eyes cold and hard, matching his words. “Marinette almost  _ died _ today.”

 

Ladybug took a step back.  _ He wasn’t mad about my lateness… He was mad that I didn’t show up in time to help save Marinette, er, me _ . “What?” She couldn’t manage any other words.

 

“One of my  _ best friends _ almost died today!” Chat exclaimed. His hands found his hair and his ripped at it. “I care about her  _ so much _ , and she almost  _ died _ . What if I hadn’t gotten there in time? Huh? You weren’t there and I was grabbed up by the Akuma, and that would have been that. She would have been dead, and it would have been on  _ you _ and  _ me _  because I couldn’t get to her and you weren’t there at  _ all _ .”

 

Ladybug felt so conflicted, but as she saw tears slipping down his cheeks, she reached out to him to try and comfort him. She felt hurt as he stepped back.

 

“Paris seems safe. Let’s cancel patrol tonight. You look tired, anyway.” Ladybug nodded. She  _ was _ exhausted. “I’m gonna go see Marinette for a minute.”

 

She watched him go be shooting off too, trying to beat him back to her house.

 

As she moved, she thought about what he had said.

 

Did he care about her  _ that _ much?

 

No one…  _ No one  _ cared about her that much…

 

Ladybug slipped through her open window and left it open as she detransformed the moment she slipped past the sheets of her make-shift ceiling and hit the ground.

 

Marinette turned around and not a moment later, there was a swishing sound, and Chat was in front of her.

 

“Mari-”

 

Marinette wasn’t going to let him say anything. He was already upset enough. She needed to comfort her friend, her  _ best friend _ (And maybe  _ she _ needed a bit of comfort too). Marinette strolled up to him and pulled him down into a tight embrace. She realized that she was crying as soon as she felt his tears strike her shirt and seep through to her skin.

 

“It’s okay, Chaton… I’m okay…”

 

She felt him breathe out into her embrace and knew that, at that moment…

 

She was  _ safe _ ...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Marinette. She just wants a friend. Good thing she has a very willing Chat ready for the job!


	4. Fallen (Tikki)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tikki doesn't believe that Gabriel Agreste could be Hawkmoth. 
> 
> After all, what kind of father would drop his child off of a building?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Tumblr](https://eviening-milady.tumblr.com/post/185442772753/m-agreste-au)
> 
> For those of you who don't know yet, you can find my AU, the M. Agreste AU on my Tumblr (above).

Tikki had known since day one that Marinette was going to be special. 

 

She had laid dormant in the Ladybug miraculous for what felt like forever. Actually, it had only been a few centuries (so not that long), but Tikki got bored. She spoke to Plagg through the link, so she had him to talk to, and, sometimes, when the others were activated for some reason, she’d reach out to them. It didn’t always work, but, sometimes, it did. It was nice when it did.

 

When she wasn’t speaking with her fellow kwamis or her other half, she was sitting, waiting, watching. Tikki looked out to the outside world.  _ She _ had helped create it, after all. 

 

“ _ You see that new thing they just made, Sugarcube? _ ” Plagg had asked through the link a few decades ago.

 

“ _ For the last time, stop calling me that, _ ” Tikki had said weakly. She didn’t really care. Plagg knew that, too. It was a running joke between the two of them.

 

“ _ Oh, don’t be like that, Sugarcube, _ ” Plagg had teased. “ _ You know you love it _ .”

 

Tikki had sighed and not responded. The way Plagg’s end had seemed to lighten made it clear that he knew he was right.

 

Tikki and Plagg were the only two who could get glimpses of the outside world when they were inside of the Miraculous and inactive. The others were just stuck there, dormant. 

 

Time was strange in the Miraculous, too. Tikki knew that time was passing, but sometimes it was slow, sometimes it was fast. It shifted around a lot. Nothing was ever the same as it had been before. The only constant she had was Plagg.

 

Wayzz was almost always active too, especially since the Miraculous had come into the possession of Master Fu. However, Wayzz never really accepted Tikki or Plagg’s invitation to the link. He was always a weird one.

 

One day, though, he opened the link and said, “ _ We are in need of new wielders for the Ladybug and Black Cat Miraculous. Find them. _ ”

 

And, so, Tikki had. She had reached out to the world and searched through the souls before selecting one that she was sure was perfect for her. A girl by the name of Marinette Agreste, a girl with a pure and beautiful soul that Tikki was sure was just going to bounce off the walls with the positivity she must have to have her soul glow that bright. Tikki relayed the information to Wayzz (who told Master Fu) so that the Guardian could give Marinette the final test to see if she was worthy of the Miraculous or not.

 

She had passed, obviously.

 

However, Marinette was not at all who Tikki had expected her to be.

 

Marinette did  _ not _ bounce off the walls with positivity. In fact, she wasn’t happy all the time, either. She wasn’t the bubbly, excitable, optimistic, trusting girl Tikki had come to expect after looking at her soul. She wasn’t that at all. 

 

Marinette Agreste was confident, that was for sure. But she was also distrusting. She was paranoid. She had never had a real friend, she had lost her mother, her father was distant. She had little time to herself. She was not what Tikki was expecting at all.

 

And Tikki knew that this girl was more special than she could have imagined. 

 

When they had met, Tikki had expected Marinette to freak out, as most of her chosen did when she met them for the first time. Instead, though, Marinette had stared at her long enough to make Tikki uncomfortable before raising an eyebrow and asking, “ _ Who are you? _ ”

 

And thus began an adventure that Tikki was  _ sure _ she would  _ never  _ forget.

 

Where Tikki was optimistic, Marinette was grounded. Where Tikki was quick-thinking, Marinette was logical. Where Tikki was emotional, Marinette was guarded.

 

It had taken a long time for Tikki to get Marinette to trust her. Tikki had never had to deal with such a strange chosen before. At first, Tikki had wondered if she had truly read Marinette’s soul correctly. As she got to know the girl, however, she began to understand that she could not have placed the Ladybug Miraculous with a better human being.

 

Marinette was strong. She was brave. She was light on her feet and witty, and smart, and Tikki  _ adored _ her. 

 

“ _ Who’d you choose? _ ” Tikki had asked Plagg the day they met their chosens.

 

“ _ A boy named Adrien Dupain-Cheng, _ ” Plagg had responded. “ _ He’s a model _ .”

 

Tikki had raised her eyebrows and hoped the gesture got through the link to Plagg. “ _ Really? Is he compatible with your Miraculous? _ ”

 

Plagg had replied immediately, “ _ Perfectly, Sugarcube. You think I’d accept anything less? _ ”

 

Tikki had snorted and closed the link a moment later.

 

“ _ My mother disappeared almost two years ago, _ ” Marinette said when Tikki finally asked a few weeks in  _ where _ her mother was. 

 

Tikki hadn’t known how to respond to that, so she simply placed her tiny hand over Marinette’s  _ much _ larger one and stayed silent.

 

Marinette was very strange to Tikki. Her other chosens had almost all had this positive energy practically  _ oozing _ from them, but Marinette was different. She had more of a neutral energy if anything. All good intentions, but a generally negative outlook. Tikki set herself to change that, too.

 

“ _ You want  _ me _ to be a  _ superhero?” Marinette had asked when Tikki explained on the first day what she would be doing.

 

Tikki had nodded earnestly. “ _ Yes! You have to help the city! You’re the only one who can _ .” Tikki had tapped her chin. It would  _ probably _ improve her relationship with Marinette if she included the fact that she would have a partner. “ _ Actually, you’ll have a partner, too. Your other half, if you will. _ ”

 

“ _ What’s their name? _ ”

 

“ _ Not sure what he’s gonna call himself, but he weilds the Black Cat Miraculous and has the power of destruction, so be prepared for that _ .”

 

“ _ Got it _ .”

 

Tikki had been surprised by how well Marinette and Adrien worked together as Ladybug and Chat Noir. Most of their chosens worked well together, but it was like Marinette and Adrien had a connection running even deeper than that. It was strange. Tikki liked it.

 

Marinette had been willing to open up to Tikki much faster than the kwami had expected after first meeting her. Maybe it was because she knew that Tikki literally had no one else to talk to. Tikki wouldn’t want her for money, or power, she was already literally a tiny ladybug god in a pair of earrings. 

 

The day Marinette had decided that she liked Adrien Dupain-Cheng was after their first Akuma attack, standing in the rain, watching him walk away after he gave her his umbrella.

 

“ _ Tikki _ ,” Marinette had said as she watched Adrien drive away, Tikki poking her head out of Marinette’s purse at her name. “ _ I think I’m in love. _ ”

 

And so Tikki managed to become Marinette’s friend.

 

“ _ You’re very… cool-headed, Marinette _ ,” Tikki said one day after Chloe had been particularly rude and still hadn’t managed to get a reaction out of the Agreste girl.

 

Marinette had cracked a smile before grinning down at her kwami. “ _ Years of practice, my dear Tikki _ .”

 

One of the first few days she had been with her new chosen, Tikki and Marinette had just been hanging out in her room, Marinette brushing up on her video game skills when there was a knock on her door.

 

“ _ Come in _ ,” Marinette said as she brushed Tikki aside and behind one of the pillows.

 

“ _ Marinette _ .” Tikki had heard a deep voice say. She had furrowed her little brow. Was  _ this _ Marinette’s father? She hadn’t seen him yet… Maybe it was.

 

“ _ Yes, Father? _ ” Marinette had asked calmly. Scarily calm. Tikki had been able to hear an edge of frustration creeping into her chosen’s voice already. What did Marinette think of her father? Tikki knew that he was very withdrawn, but… They were family! They had to be on good terms with one another.

 

“ _ Your tutor tells me you only received a 12 on your last Chinese exam. _ ”

 

Tikki had looked out from behind the pillow and seen Marinette’s face fall. “ _ That’s correct _ .”

 

“ _ You know that is unacceptable _ .”

 

“ _ Yes, Father, I promise I’ll try harder next time _ ,” Marinette had said. Tikki had watched the girl tremble as the conversation continued. Marinette’s bright blue eyes were trained on the ground.

 

“ _ Good. There will be punishments if you don’t _ .”

 

And, just like that, he had left.

 

As Tikki had emerged from her hiding place, Marinette had thrown herself down onto the other side of the couch and let out a long, hard groan.

 

“ _ Marinette… Do you even  _ like _ your father? _ ” Tikki had asked after Marinette had finally emerged from the pillow she had been groaning into.

 

Marinette had been silent for a moment and Tikki had seen her eyes glisten before she had turned away and said, “ _ The thing is, Tikki… _ ” There was a pause and then Marinette finished, “ _ I don’t think  _ he _ likes _ me.”

 

Tikki thought Marinette was being ridiculous, but, as time went on, it became more and more clear that Marinette might be  _ right _ .

 

Her father was distant, sure, but he also pushed her. Marinette seemed to do almost anything he asked of her. 

 

“ _ Why do you do  _ everything _ he tells you to, Marinette? _ ”

 

“ _ Well… He knows I don’t like it, but… He’s been more frustrated since Maman disappeared, and even _ more  _ so since these attacks started happening. I don’t want to give him any reason to want to pull me out of school, or to want to put cameras up in my room. He has them in every other room in the house. It would be dangerous, though, to have them in here, what with _ …” She had gestured between her and Tikki before waving lazily to her earrings in her ears. “ _ You know… _ ”

 

Tikki had nodded, lost in thought. “ _ I do… _ ”

 

Tikki had been glad to see that Chat Noir had become a friend to Marinette both in and out of the mask. In fact, the only two in the ‘square’ (as Plagg had dubbed it) that didn’t interact were Ladybug and Adrien. Marinette was too nervous about putting a target on Adrien for Hawkmoth.

 

Chat Noir was a good friend for Marinette, though, and Tikki was very glad that he was there for her.

 

Tikki had to admit: Plagg had chosen marvelously this time around. Sometimes he had good chosens, sometimes they… weren’t the best… But this one… Adrien… Plagg couldn’t have chosen better.

 

“ _ My kid is so good, be jealous, Sugarcube _ ,” Plagg said a week or so in through the link after both of their chosens were asleep.

 

“ _ I don’t know… I think I picked a pretty good one too, Stinky Sock _ .”

 

“ _ Your nickname for me could be so much better. For shame _ .”

 

“ _ Eh _ .”

 

Chat Noir really did care for Marinette  _ and _ Ladybug, though. Tikki knew that he was in love with Ladybug, Plagg had told her himself (“ _ This kid is so in love with your Bug when she’s transformed it physically hurts, Sugarcube _ ”), but when Ladybug rejected his advances, he didn’t push. He was happy just being her friend.

 

Marinette, as Ladybug, told him a lot about her personal life. No names or anything, but how her father had designated free days, how she had to schedule activities hours in advance to get approval for them (Tikki thought those two things were just cruel of Gabriel to do), how she seldom got to hang out with her friends.

 

The moment she had been totally and completely sold on Adrien Dupain-Cheng possibly being the best Chat Noir ever was a few months in, during an Akuma attack, actually, when he had mentioned Marinette not showing up for dinner the night before.

 

“ _ So, m’lady, where were you last night? _ ” Tikki had watched through Marinette’s eyes as he had frowned. “ _ You didn’t show up for the dinner I planned _ …”

 

“ _ I know, I’m sorry, I just… Well, I never agreed to it in the first place _ .” He had been staring at Ladybug and nodded along with her words, though Tikki hadn’t liked how his frown had deepened. “ _ I… I made plans with my friends, and… _ ”

 

Chat had blinked. “ _ Your friends? You mean as a civilian? _ ”

 

Ladybug had nodded.

 

“ _ Oh, uh, sorry, then. I know you don’t get a lot of time with them, so… It’s fine, m’lady. I get it. We see each other all the time, if you ever need, or want, to drop something with me to hang out with your friends, feel free to do it. _ ” He had given her one of his cheeky grins. “ _ Just maybe a little heads-up next time, all right? _ ”

 

Tikki had felt Marinette genuinely smile beneath the mask. “ _ Got it, Chaton. _ ”

 

That was the moment that Tikki knew that Plagg had chosen the best possible person to wield his miraculous.

 

Other than respecting Ladybug’s boundaries and the problems she had in her personal life, though, Chat also was a great friend to  _ Marinette _ .

 

He had officially ‘met’ Marinette during the Evillustrator incident, but after that, he had gone to her house to check on her. Tikki remembered hearing Marinette genuinely laugh so many times that night it was as if it was completely natural to her.

 

He continued visiting her after that, and Tikki loved watching Marinette and Chat Noir blossom a strong friendship.

 

“ _ You know, Chat _ ,” Marinette had said one night as he sat perched on her couch while she sorted through her video game shelf, “ _ I think you might be one of my best friends in the world _ .”

 

Tikki had watched from her hiding place as Chat had frozen.

 

“ _ What? _ ”

 

“ _ Really, _ ” Marinette had said, turning to him with a small smile and a nod, a game clutched in her hands. “ _ I have  _ maybe _ four friends that I  _ know _ I can rely on. _ ”

 

Chat had furrowed his eyebrows. “ _ Who? _ ”

 

“ _ Alya, Adrien, Nino, and you _ .” Marinette had sent a small glance to Tikki’s hiding place, locking eyes with the watching kwami, and Tikki had known that Marinette would have put her on that list, too. It made her tiny heart pound at the thought that her chosen  _ truly _ considered her a friend.

 

Chat had perked up when he had heard his civilian identity on her list. Tikki smiled widely at the look on his face. Did he really not know that Marinette truly thought of him (as Adrien) as a friend? Well, those doubts were out the window now, thankfully.

 

“ _ Well, I think you’re one of  _ my _ best friends, too _ ,” Chat had said, straightening up a bit. Marinette had grinned and held up the game she had been holding.

 

“ _ You sure you’ll still think so after I mercilessly defeat you? _ ”

 

Chat had laughed. “ _ Is that a challenge, Mari? _ ”

 

Marinette’s smile had widened even more. “ _ It’s a promise, Chaton _ .”

 

She had beaten him 15-2.

 

On this particular day, Marinette was wanting to see a movie, and her father was forbidding it.

 

“I can’t  _ believe _ him,” Marinette said, flopping onto her couch when they reached her room again, Tikki flying out of her pocket to float in the air beside her. “He  _ knows _ it’s the only day if the year I can see this movie and he  _ still says no _ .”

 

“What movie?” Tikki asked. Marinette hadn’t told her what she was trying to see yet.

 

“One with my mother in it,” Marinette responded, and Tikki suddenly understood why this was so important to her chosen.

 

After a moment, Marinette sat up, her eyes steely. 

 

She moved to the coat hangers she had near the door and plucked her purse from it. “Get in, Tikki.” Marinette held the flap open and Tikki wasted no time flying right into it. 

 

Tikki watched through a small gap in the clip on the side of the purse as Marinette made her way through the mansion she lived in with a purpose. 

 

“Marinette, where do you think you’re going?” Tikki heard Gabriel’s assistant, Nathalie, ask as Marinette walked toward the front door.

 

“Out.”

 

“Marinette!”

 

Marinette clearly didn’t care what Nathalie said as she continued moving. Tikki saw as they went right through the front door and watched her chosen’s fingers deftly type in the code to the gate. Marinette walked right out the open gate a moment later, which closed behind her after just a few seconds.

 

They walked in peace toward where Tikki assumed was the cinema before Marinette hissed out, “ _ Shit _ ,” and they were suddenly moving much faster.

 

“What is it?” Tikki whispered up to her chosen.

 

“The Gorilla.”

 

Tikki poked her head out for a moment to see, indeed, the bodyguard in his car, giving chase to them.

 

“Huh.”

 

Tikki was jostled around in the purse as Marinette did her best to avoid getting dragged back home.

 

Marinette swerved around another corner…

 

And crashed right into Adrien Dupain-Cheng.

 

Tikki was thrown to the ground. She shook her head and felt Marinette scoop up the purse she was in a moment later.

 

“Mari? What are you doing?”

 

Tikki could tell that Marinette was a bit flustered by the sudden appearance of her crush, but she recovered quickly (like she normally did, Tikki was so proud). “I’m trying to see this movie but today isn’t one of my free days so my bodyguard is chasing me and I can’t lose him and will you help me?”

 

Tikki watched as Adrien blinked and then nodded. “Of course.”

 

Tikki couldn’t see Marinette from where she was positioned, but she was sure the girl was smiling. “Thanks.”

 

The two ran through the city, and a moment later she heard Plagg speak through the link. “ _ Nice to see you, Sugarcube _ .”

 

Tikki snorted and opened her end of the link to respond. “ _ Nice to see you, too _ .”

 

She continued to talk to her other half as they were carted through the city. Marinette and Adrien finally managed to lose the Gorilla and ended up in the cinema with some of the most  _ ridiculous  _ disguises Tikki had ever seen as she got a glimpse of the two of them as Marinette sat down in the chair to watch the movie.

 

Tikki had to agree as she watched the woman moving across the screen, though: Emilie Agreste  _ was _ beautiful.

 

It seemed like the day was actually going all right.

 

And then the Gorilla got akumatized and snatched up Marinette.

 

“This is the worst,” Tikki heard Marinette say between Gorizilla’s roars.

 

They ended up on the top of one of the tallest buildings in the city and Tikki couldn’t even  _ see _ anything. 

 

Then, suddenly, there was light. Marinette must have been released. She could see Chat moving around Gorizilla as he yelled, “Run, Marinette! Jump, I’ll catch you!”

 

Tikki knew Marinette was nervous as she didn’t move. Then, Chat yelled, “Trust me!”

 

Marinette must have because a moment later Tikki heard her say, “Of course.” Then, they were running. And  _ then _ , they were  _ falling _ .

 

Tikki poked her head out of the purse to see Chat go to jump after them, only to get grabbed up by Gorizilla.

 

“ _ No! _ ” He called, and he sounded as horrified as Tikki felt. “ _ Marinette! _ ” A moment later, he yelled desperately, hoping his partner was there, “ _ Ladybug! _ ”

 

Tikki looked up at Marinette who smiled at her and shook her head. Tikki frowned. She knew it would reveal her identity, but  _ what other choice did Mari have? _ She ducked back into the purse, hiding from the world again.

 

A few long seconds passed before Tikki grit her teeth and zipped out of Marinette’s purse and up the hem of Marinette’s shirt. She moved up the shirt to poke her head out of Marinette’s collar, gazing up at the girl who had probably become her favorite chosen as Marinette spoke.

 

“Make sure the next Ladybug takes care of him, Tikki,” Marinette said, and Tikki felt her heart sink at the implications. She couldn’t help the tears that streamed down her small red face.

 

“ _ Please, _ Marinette.  _ Please _ transform. I don’t want to lose you. Not yet.” Tikki had lost chosens young before, but none of them were Marinette.

 

“You were one of the best friends a girl could ask for,” Marinette said, clearly ignoring Tikki’s pleas. “Thank you.”

 

“ _ Please,  _ Marinette,” Tikki said, though she knew that her cries were falling on deaf ears.

 

Tikki knew that Marinette wasn’t going to transform. The girl cared about her identity more than anyone Tikki had ever known, sure, but also there was the fact that Marinette had a theory of who Hawkmoth was that she was  _ so certain of _ that she would never dare reveal her identity when he could be watching.

 

Because Marinette thought that her  _ father _ was Hawkmoth.

 

Tikki had agreed with Master Fu when Marinette had gone to him about this. Marinette was being paranoid. What scared Tikki, though, was that Marinette might be  _ right _ . Master Fu had said Marinette’s frustration with her father was clouding her judgment, and Tikki had agreed, but as time went on, the little kwami started to realize that Marinette might be  _ right _ .

 

And that scared her.

 

Because if Marinette was right and proved it, and Gabriel  _ was _ Hawkmoth, then when he was taken down, she would be left with  _ nothing _ . It’d be Marinette Agreste, the only one left, all on her own. Nathalie would probably watch after her until she was old enough to take care of herself, but then Marinette would be left a rich with no family left and a company to navigate all on her own.

 

Tikki didn’t want Marinette to have to go through that.

 

So she refused to believe that Gabriel Agreste was Hawkmoth. 

 

Because Marinette  _ wouldn’t be able to handle that _ .

 

Tikki desperately threw her magic into Marinette and the air around her. If Marinette wasn’t going to transform, then Chat Noir was her only hope. 

 

Tikki tried to slow Marinette’s descent as much as possible to allow Chat more time to escape and save her. It wasn’t slow enough to make it where Marinette  _ wouldn’t  _ die when she hit the ground, but it was slower nonetheless.

 

Then, suddenly, as Marinette whispered goodbye to her father into the air, Tikki was jerked to the side. She poked her head out of Marinette’s collar to see Chat Noir clutching Marinette in his arms, moving away from the Akuma.

 

Tikki closed her eyes as she heard Marinette begin to cry.

 

After the Akuma had been wrapped up later, Marinette was preparing to go meet Chat for patrol when Tikki spoke up.

 

“You have no idea how scared I was today, Marinette.”

 

Marinette turned to her and furrowed her eyebrows. “What are you talking about, Tikki?”

 

“You almost  _ died _ , Marinette, and-” Tikki’s words died in her throat.

 

Marinette smiled softly and stroked the top of Tikki’s head. “But I didn’t. See? I’m fine.”

 

“I know, I know, it’s just…” Tikki sighed. “There are people who care about you, Marinette, and I’m one of them. I’ve lost chosens before,  _ young _ ones, I mean, who died  _ much _ too early, but… Marinette, I don’t know what I would have done without you. You… You’re the best Ladybug I’ve ever had.  _ Ever _ .”

 

Marinette stared at her before cracking a smile. “Thanks, Tikki, but you don’t need to lie.”

 

Tikki gaped at her before gasping. “Marinette! I’m  _ not _ lying!” She flew up and cupped Marinette’s face with her tiny hands. “You are the  _ best _ Ladybug I’ve ever had.”

 

A tear fell down Marinette’s cheek as she hugged the kwami to her. “Thanks, Tikki.”

 

“All right, Tikki.  _ Spots on! _ ”

 

As Tikki was sucked into the Ladybug Miraculous, she wondered for a moment  _ how _ Marinette could think that her father was Hawkmoth, that her father would nearly  _ kill _ her.

 

Fathers didn’t do that.

 

Tikki never considered that maybe, just  _ maybe _ , she was a bit too optimistic for the world.


	5. Fallen (Plagg)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Plagg never really liked Tikki's chosens, and he never really could put any faith in his.
> 
> That all changed with Marinette Agreste and Adrien Dupain-Cheng

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yep, we got Plagg!
> 
> I liked writing this one a lot, actually. It was an interesting one to do, to say the least.
> 
> Trigger Warnings (I guess):
> 
> Reference to Suicide 
> 
> It's literally one sentence, but better safe than sorry, you know?
> 
> Next POV: Nathalie

Plagg was normally annoyed to no end by Tikki’s chosens.

 

They were always peppy and optimistic and always smiling and  _ everything that Plagg and his chosens weren’t _ .

 

Oh, well.

 

Maybe he was just jealous.

 

Tikki always got the  _ good _ chosens. The ones who were positive about life and just wanted to help, and Plagg always got the bad ones. Well, to be fair, they weren’t  _ always _ bad. Just… sometimes…

 

Even then, though, sometimes was a few times too many.

 

Destruction was an odd power. It was a scary power. It was exhilarating.

 

It was  _ bad _ .

 

Well, at least in the wrong hands, it was.

 

And, unfortunately, it was too often in the wrong hands.

 

Plagg’s powers were compatible to very few people. He, like Tikki, looked into their souls before deciding who would be his chosen. Tikki tended to just look at their qualities. After all, the Ladybug Miraculous was creativity, and luck, and  _ creation _ . It was hard to go wrong with it. Tikki once explained to him how she found her chosen.

 

“ _ Well, I’d assume just like you, right? _ ” She’d said through the link a few centuries ago. “ _ I look at their souls and select the one that would work best. Tends to be the brightest ones. Whites and pinks and blues that seem to glow _ .” There had been a pause before she had asked, “ _ What about you? _ ”

 

“ _ Me? Oh, uh… _ ” Plagg had panicked and peeked at the soul of his current chosen before replying, “ _ Kinda a… mottled grey, I guess? _ ”

 

Tikki had hummed before her side of the link had closed.

 

Plagg had, of course, been lying.

 

It was a wonder that Tikki’s way of finding a chosen was so simple. Plagg couldn’t just look at the outside of the soul, the appearance, because destruction was such a dangerous power that he was forced to look inward, at the very core of their being, into the essence of the soul, to discover whether or not they could even  _ use _ his power without going bat-shit crazy and destroying half of the country.

 

Plagg remembered, vividly, one of the worst chosens he had ever had. It had been maybe six centuries ago, maybe a bit more, in the Middle Ages.  

 

The boy had been named George, and he had started out great. He called himself the Alleycat. He had been madly in love with the Ladybug of the time, a girl named Fiona who went by Redwings. 

 

George had loved Redwings with all of his heart. He would have killed for her. He  _ had _ killed for her. But she hadn’t loved him back. Plagg had warned George  _ over and over _ that it was dangerous to love one person this much without them returning the feelings. George had laughed it off, said that she would love him eventually. He just had to wait for it.

 

One day, Tikki had opened the link and said, “ _ I’m sorry, Plagg _ .”

 

An hour later, George had received an invitation to the wedding of Fiona and her lover, John. He had gone. He had told Plagg that he wanted to go to as many weddings as possible to make sure that his wedding to Redwings was perfect when the time came.

 

Plagg had nodded, the smile on his face betraying the sinking feeling in his stomach.

 

The next day, the ball had dropped.

 

“ _ Greetings, Redwings!” _ George had said while transformed, dropping down beside her on the top of a roof in the middle of town. “ _ May I just say that you are looking even more beautiful than normal. Why, you’re positively glowing! _ ”

 

Redwings’s lips had pursed and she had nodded. “ _ Well, I’m feeling very happy today. _ ”

 

George had grinned and said, “ _ I’m sure that if whatever it is made you look  _ this _ beautiful, then you’ll look even _ more  _ gorgeous when I lift your veil on our wedding day- _ ”

 

Plagg had seen it coming before it happened. Redwings’s face had been growing steadily more red as George had continued to speak, though Plagg had known that it  _ wasn’t _ from embarrassment or anything. It was from  _ anger _ .

 

“ _ Oh, will you just shut up! _ ” Redwings had cried, standing up. George had fallen silent and stared up at her with wide eyes.

 

“ _ Red… Redwings? What are you- _ ”

 

“ _ The constant romantic gestures and words, the many attempts to  _ court _ me, it’s all never-ending! I’ve told you a million times to stop, and you  _ refuse _! _ ”

 

George had sputtered. “ _ It’s… It’s because I  _ love _ you, Redwings! _ ”

 

“ _ But I don’t love  _ you,” she had replied coldly. Plagg hadn’t been able to blame her, though. Tikki said that John had been courting Fiona for two years, which was when Redwings and Alleycat had met. She had shut him down the first day he flirted with her, but he had just persisted. Plagg would be pretty annoyed if he had been forced to deal with someone flirting with him constantly for two years while he was in love with Tikki, especially if he consistently denied the advances.

 

“ _ You do, _ ” George had pressed. “ _ You just don’t know it _ .”

 

Redwings had scowled. “ _ No, I  _ don’t _. _ ”

 

George had crossed his arms. “ _ Prove it _ .”

 

“ _ What? _ ”

 

“ _ Prove it, Redwings. Prove you don’t love me _ .”

 

Redwings had grit her teeth and pushed him away from her after he took a step closer. “ _ Because I’m  _ married _ , you idiot! _ ”

 

George had stumbled back, his eyes widening. “ _ W-what? _ ”

 

“ _ I’m married. I’ve been in a courtship for two years. I am in love, and it is  _ not _ with you. So  _ leave me alone!”

 

She had rocketed away a moment later, leaving George alone.

 

Plagg had talked to the boy that night as he tore his bedroom to pieces. “ _ George, George, calm down, it’ll be all right. _ ”

 

“ _ You don’t understand, Plagg. You’re not human, you’ve never been so in love with someone it  _ aches-”  _ Wrong _ , Plagg had thought bitterly, Tikki’s face flashing in his mind- “ _ and _ you  _ can’t tell me what to do _ .”

 

“ _ Kid, wait- _ ”

 

“ _ Claws out. _ ”

 

George had gone on to destroy the entire city. He had been far enough along in his time as the Alleycat to be able to use  _ Cataclysm _ over and over again without detransforming.

 

It was horrible.

 

Plagg had never been more terrified of his power.

 

George had started with the larger buildings, the public ones, destroying the town hall, then the big church in the center during Sunday’s service, then a popular pub, and then more and more until he was basically running his hand along the side of the buildings, laughing maniacally as he went, ignoring Plagg’s cries in the back of his mind. Plagg had sobbed for one of the first times at the screams of the people trapped in the buildings.

 

Then, two days into George’s mass destruction, he had turned a corner into the city’s plaza to find Redwings standing on the roof on the opposite end.

 

“ _ Ah, Redwings, I was wondering when you would show up- _ ” George had been cut off by Redwings.

 

“ _ John Ambler _ .”

 

There had been a pause before George had asked, “ _ What? _ ”

 

“ _ His name was John Ambler. He was my husband. And you  _ murdered _ him. _ ”

 

George’s fury and madness, for a moment, had disappeared, being replaced with confusion as he whispered, “ _ Fiona? _ ”

 

Redwings had been trembling from head-to-toe. Her fists had been clenched. Her eyes had been blazing in the light of the setting sun with more fury than Plagg had ever thought possible. 

 

Then, at once, they had flown at each other and engaged in battle.

 

“ _ She’s not going to stop _ ,” Tikki had whispered to him through the link, her voice broken.

 

“ _ Neither is he. _ ”

 

Eventually, Redwings’s righteous fury had won out over George’s jealousy filled one. She had ripped the miraculous off of George’s hand, detransforming him in a flash of green light. 

 

Plagg had stumbled into Redwings’s waiting hand. She had looked down at him with a small smile before turning to George, the fury returning to her eyes as they landed on him.

 

“ _ George Cook _ ,” she had said, her voice seeming to boom around the square as the few people in the town who had still been alive had moved in to watch. “ _ You have proved to be unworthy of the power you have been chosen to possess and are hereby stripped of it. _ ” She had gripped the miraculous tightly. “ _ Furthermore, for the crimes you have committed against this city, and against me, I have decided to sentence you to die _ .” George had trembled below her, but she had ignored him, looking up to the people gathered. “ _ Does anyone object to this? _ ”

 

No one had.

 

Redwings had summoned her secondary weapon, one that chosens nowadays weren’t even told about, a dagger with a poison tip. 

 

“ _ Do you have any last words? _ ”

 

George had stared up at her, glanced at Plagg, and then glared and spat at her feet.

 

Redwings had scowled and, without another word, plunged the dagger through his heart.

 

He had died a moment later.

 

Fiona had returned the Black Cat miraculous to the Guardian the next day before handing in her own.

 

Tikki had cried out through the link that night as they sat in their miraculouses. She had told him that she had felt Fiona’s life disappear. The girl had killed herself.

 

Plagg had scowled and sent his condolences to his other half. 

 

Sometimes he hated this job.

 

Very few of his chosens were as bad as George, but none of them were particularly  _ good _ . They were  _ all right _ . Some of them liked life, were happy, but none of them were really just inherently  _ good _ . That trait was just not compatible with the Black Cat miraculous, apparently. What a shame.

 

But then he had met Adrien.

 

The inner workings of Adrien Dupain-Cheng’s soul looked like any other chosen of his, if not a bit brighter in… a lot of spots, actually, but Plagg hadn’t bothered to dwell on that.

 

He had told Fu his chosen and the boy had passed the test.

 

Plagg had met him that day.

 

And, shit, did Plagg  _ love _ this kid.

 

Seriously.

 

Plagg tended to tolerate, maybe even like his chosens just a bit, but he  _ loved _ this kid. He could very well handle being with Adrien from now until the end of time.

 

Adrien was smart (which was more than Plagg could say for half of his previous chosens).

 

He was lonely, too, but he had a good family. His parents were two of the best people Plagg had ever seen (and they made the  _ best _ camembert tarts). Plagg met Adrien on the first day that the kid had tried to go to school.

 

Fu had placed his miraculous on Adrien’s bed and just a few hours later, the box had been opened and Plagg had flown out.

 

“ _ Aw, man, do you have  _ any _ idea how long I’ve been in there? No? Try a century or two at least, kid _ .” Adrien’s wide green eyes had blinked at him from across the room in pure confusion.

 

“ _ What… What  _ are  _ you? _ ” Adrien had asked after a moment, his voice cracking halfway through. Plagg had resisted rolling his eyes.  _ Puberty _ .

 

“ _ I’m what’s called a kwami, kid _ .” At least this one wasn’t jumping to transform immediately. Most of his chosens did that before he even had a chance to explain their powers. “ _ And that- _ ” He had gestured to the ring sitting in the box- “ _ is a miraculous. The Black Cat miraculous, to be specific _ .”

 

Adrien had picked up the box and moved to the other side of the room. His room was so  _ white _ . Plagg would have to try and change that at some point during their time together. This kid apparently never had a  _ chance _ to change the room, though. And he wasn’t able to do it himself, anyway.

 

“ _ So… why do I have it? What does it do? _ ”

 

Adrien’s eyes had been wide as Plagg explained.

 

“ _ Once you put that ring on, you can say the words ‘Claws Out’ to transform into your superhero form. _ ”

 

Adrien had grinned and grabbed the ring immediately, sliding it onto his finger.

 

“ _ Looks good, if I do say so myself, _ ” Adrien had said, turning the ring to watch it glinting in the light streaming in from outside. He had turned to Plagg. “ _ So… transform? What does that mean? _ ”

 

“ _ Just what it sounds like. You’ll be turned into a cat-themed superhero. You’ll need a name, by the way _ .”

 

“ _ Hmm… _ ” Adrien had tapped his chin before exclaiming, “ _ Chat Noir! _ ”

 

Plagg, thankfully, had managed to tell Adrien his powers and the time limit that came with them before the kid had transformed, thankfully. Adrien seemed to have a generally level head. Plagg supposed that came from a mix of growing up in the modeling industry as well as being raised by the two best parents to ever grace the Earth.

 

Plagg had been surprised by the enjoyment Adrien found in life. He found fun and happiness in the little things, especially since he had grown up with no real friends, and Plagg admired that. It was very different from all of his previous chosens, and it was a welcome change.

 

Plagg had been even more surprised, though, by Tikki’s chosen.

 

Marinette Agreste.

 

Tikki had gushed through the link after selecting her chosen about how bright and beautiful Marinette’s soul had been.

 

“ _ Oh, Plagg, it was like a comet shooting through the dark at me! _ ” Tikki had exclaimed. She had been over the moon with excitement to meet her chosen.

 

“ _ Sounds great, Sugarcube _ .” Plagg had been… less so.

 

Plagg had always had a general disliking for Tikki’s chosens, especially those with particularly  _ bright _ souls. He was a little envious of their never-ending positivity while he got the chosens who once every ten times turned evil, but he was grateful that at least he didn’t have to deal with those overly-optimistic people  _ every waking second _ .

 

The day that they had met their chosens, Tikki had whispered through the link, her voice in awe, “ _ Oh, I think you’re gonna like this one, Plagg _ .” He had managed to figure out that she was talking about Marinette.

 

“ _ I’m sure I will _ .” He hadn’t thought he would.

 

But, surprisingly, he  _ had _ .

 

Tikki’s chosens were normally so confused and excited that they could barely function during their first battle. In the first akuma attack, though, Marinette, as Ladybug, had been so level-headed and calm. She had come up with a plan and executed it perfectly, with Adrien’s help.

 

Of course, she hadn’t purified the akuma, but that wasn’t really her fault. Tikki had apparently forgotten to mention it, actually.

 

“ _ Oops _ ,” Tikki had said through the link when Stoneheart had returned.

 

“ _ What is it? _ ”

 

“ _ Forgot to tell Marinette that she had to purify the akuma _ .”

 

Plagg had groaned through the link. “ _ Sugarcube… _ ”

 

Tikki had whispered to Plagg after Adrien had given Marinette his umbrella that she was utterly in love. Plagg had snorted and not responded.

 

When Adrien had gotten back home that evening, he had flopped down on his bed and sighed.

 

“ _ What is it, kid? _ ” Plagg had asked, flying over to float in front of Adrien’s face.

 

“ _ Plagg, I’m in love with that girl _ .”

 

“ _ Which one? _ ”

 

“ _ Who else? _ ” Adrien had asked, his voice breathy. Plagg’s heart had pounded.  _ For God’s sake, say Marinette _ … “ _ Ladybug _ …” 

 

_...Shit… _

 

Plagg had been terrified when Chat Noir had admitted his feelings for Ladybug and she had rejected him.

 

“ _ I’m sorry, Chat, but I’m in love with someone else. And, either way, I can’t have him either. I’m not in any position for any sort of relationship right now. _ ” She had looked up at him with her blue eyes, and they looked ready to overflow with tears. “ _ I’m sorry… _ ”

 

Chat had swallowed, and somehow Plagg had felt the kid’s heart pounding as if it was his own.

 

After a long moment, Chat had smiled sadly and said, “ _ It’s all right, m’lady. I understand _ .”

 

Ladybug had blinked. “ _ You… You do? _ ”

 

Chat had laughed and nodded. “ _ Yeah, I do. I mean, sure, it hurts, but I understand. I’m not gonna… _ ” Chat had licked his lips. “ _ I’m not gonna force you into a relationship if you don’t want it. _ ” He had made a face. “ _ What kinda friend would that make me? What kind of  _ partner  _ would that make me? Hell, what kind of  _ person  _ would that make me? _ ” Chat had shaken his head and turned to her with a gentle smile. He had reached over and placed a hand on her shoulder as Plagg watched with bated breath from his place within the kid’s mind. “ _ I understand. Good luck with him, m’lady. I’m sure you’ll get him one day _ .” He had paused before adding, “ _ If you… If you  _ don’t _ , though, feel free to think of me as a second choice _ .”

 

Ladybug had laughed and leaned into him before nodding into the crook of his neck.

 

“ _ You’re the best friend I could ever ask for, Chat _ .”

 

Chat had smiled and Plagg felt the warm feeling taking over the kid’s body as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “ _ So are you, m’lady _ .”

 

They sat like that for forever before bidding each other a good night and heading home.

 

When Adrien had landed on the roof of his home and detransformed, he hadn’t said a word. He had simply slipped through the trapdoor into his room, and Plagg had scrambled to follow him before the trapdoor closed.

 

Adrien had collapsed on his bed and, the moment the trapdoor swung shut, had let out a long sound that was a mix between a scream and a groan.

 

“ _ Kid? You all right? _ ” Plagg had asked, floating toward the kid’s head.

 

“ _ I love her so much, Plagg _ ,” Adrien had responded after a moment.

 

“ _ I mean… are you planning on destroying the city or anything because she rejected you? _ ” Might as well get it out immediately.

 

Adrien had blinked. “ _ What? No? Why would I do that? I thought you could see everything when I’m transformed? Didn’t you see that I was fine with it? _ ”

 

Plagg had been silent for a moment before chuckling and nodding. “ _ Yeah, sorry kid. Guess I… forgot _ …”

 

Adrien had hummed before heading off of his bed to do his homework.

 

Plagg was so happy that he had nothing to fear when Ladybug rejected Chat Noir.

 

He couldn’t deal with losing another kid.

 

Well, especially not this one.

 

So, for the most part, life with Adrien Dupain-Cheng was nice.

 

On this particular day, though, it was not.

 

Well, it was more that the  _ circumstances _ sucked.

 

Marinette’s bodyguard had been akumatized into Gorizilla, and was parading her around the city, and as, Chat followed her, he consistently muttered, “ _ Where is Ladybug? _ ”

 

“ _ You’re following her! _ ” Plagg wanted to scream. But he couldn’t. 

 

Then, suddenly, there were on the top of one of the tallest buildings in the city.

 

Chat struck his baton right on Gorizilla’s wrist. The movement made the akuma drop Marinette.  _ Yes, _ Plagg thought.  _ Go, transform, go! _

 

“Run, Marinette!” Chat called to her. “Jump, I’ll catch you!” Of course he would. Plagg’s kid was the best, and he was obsessed with Marinette. Er, not in a creepy way. She was probably his closest friend outside of the mask. They were just… drawn to one another.  _ Almost like magic _ , Plagg thought with amusement.

 

Marinette glanced back at Chat, and Plagg could see the apprehensiveness in her eyes at the idea.

 

“Trust me!”

 

That was apparently all she needed, because she nodded, her lips pressed together tightly before she said, “Of course.” She turned on her heel and sprinted toward the edge of the building. Chat sent one more kick at Gorizilla before moving to follow her as she leaped over the edge. She was plummeting toward the ground and Chat jumped after her, only to be snatched right out of the air by Gorizilla.

 

“ _ No! _ ” Chat yelled, and Plagg was pretty sure that he yelled it too.

 

Down Marinette fell, the best ever of Tikki’s chosens, a girl of only fourteen, who had  _ such _ an amazing life ahead of her. Who hadn’t even revealed her identity to Adrien. Who hadn’t found out that Adrien, her crush, was her partner. Who hadn’t ever gotten to have a  _ real _ first kiss.

 

“ _ Marinette! _ ”

 

Adrien’s voice echoed around in his head. A moment later, he called out desperately.

 

“ _ Ladybug! _ ”

 

Chat wanted her to show up, he was praying for it, Plagg was sure.

 

In a way, he was praying for it too.

 

Plagg knew that transforming would reveal Marinette’s identity to the world, and Tikki had told him many times how seriously that girl took her identity. But, come on, it was the only way she could survive!

 

Through the link, Plagg could  _ feel _ the desperate magic Tikki was trying to use to slow Marinette’s fall down.

 

Plagg knew it was no use, though.

 

That girl was doomed.

 

And even if he had never met her in person, the thought, the idea, the  _ truth  _ of it, burned in his heart.

 

And then, suddenly, there was freedom. 

 

Gorizilla released Chat and the boy rocketed down toward Marinette. He plucked her from the air and flew off toward safety.

 

Plagg swallowed down a lump in his throat as he Marinette sob into Chat’s arms through the kid’s eyes.

 

That night, after Chat basically screamed at Ladybug for not saving Marinette (the irony struck Plagg hard here), he moved toward Marinette’s room at the Agreste mansion.

 

Marinette had obviously gotten back in time as Chat slipped inside.

 

Even though Plagg had seen her as Ladybug, he couldn’t help the overwhelming sense of  _ relief _ that overtook him when Chat laid eyes on Tikki’s chosen. 

 

She was  _ alive _ .

 

“ _ Someone’s happy, _ ” Tikki said through the link as their chosens, one transformed, one not, spoke to one another, hugged, cried, did whatever.

 

“ _ Yeah, well _ …” Plagg paused. “ _ What can I say? Your chosen is… special. I like her _ .”

 

Tikki’s happiness that fell through the link was not unnoticed in the slightest.

 

A few hours later, around two in the morning, when Adrien finally got back home, Plagg sat on one of the kid’s pillows and stared at him across the bed.

 

“What?” Adrien asked after a long minute of just… staring. 

 

“You really care about her, don’t you?”

 

Adrien blinked. “Of course I do. She’s one of my best friends. If not for Ladybug, she would  _ be _ my best friend.”

 

Plagg nodded slowly.  _ God, this kid is so oblivious to his own feelings it hurts _ .

 

“Why do you ask?”

 

“Just curious, I guess,” Plagg replied. He turned over on the pillow and relaxed into it, laying down. “G’night, kid.”

 

“...Good night, Plagg.”

 

Adrien flicked the light off a moment later.

 

That night, Plagg stayed up for at least an hour after the light had turned off, looking out through the window at the stars.

 

He smiled as he glanced over at Adrien’s sleeping form.

 

Plagg wasn’t really ever sure of anything other than his love for Tikki, honestly. But, for once, he was sure about one thing.

 

For once, he was sure that he had picked  _ right _ .


	6. Fallen (Nathalie)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nathalie Sancoeur was selfish.
> 
> Selfish and in love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Tumblr](https://eviening-milady.tumblr.com/post/185442772753/m-agreste-au)
> 
> This one took a really long time, but I really like how it turned out. It was a really hard one to do because I was so particular about it, but I'm really happy with what I ended up with. Hope you enjoy this look into the Nathalie Sancoeur of this AU!

Nathalie Sancoeur was a selfish woman.

 

She knew that.

 

She  _ knew _ that.

 

Nathalie had been friends with Emilie Agreste since she had been Emilie Beaulieu, a beautiful girl living in Paris and shooting up through the modeling industry in a whirlwind of smart decisions and radiant smiles.

 

The two had met in school, and when Nathalie’s parents had died, Emilie had begged her own until they had agreed to take Nathalie in. 

 

Their rooms were right across the hall from one another.

 

Emilie would tell Nathalie everything. They’d sit on Emilie’s bed in the Beaulieu mansion as teenagers, whispering secrets that were only known to the two of them and the birds outside the window.

 

Nathalie recalled fondly staying up past midnight, watching through her glasses as Emilie spun through the room, dancing to whatever song was flowing from the speakers. Emilie would stop by the bed and pull Nathalie to her feet, and the two of them would clumsily weave through one another, a tune of unstoppable laughter and flushed cheeks.

 

Nathalie had met Gabriel Agreste alongside Emilie. He was an up-and-coming designer, yet already so incredibly serious about his work that it slightly scared her the first time she spoke to him. Well, more like stood at Emilie’s side as she smiled radiantly at the young man and spoke to him about the piece she’d be modeling in his first  _ ever _ show.

 

As she had watched Emilie speaking with Gabriel, Nathalie had felt her face heat every time she stared at the man talking with her best friend, the man who had a flush to his cheeks as well whenever he met Emilie’s eyes. Later, when Gabriel had finally left, Emilie had turned to Nathalie, her cheeks the loveliest shade of pink, and asked, “ _ Well, he was nice, don’t you think? _ ”

 

Nathalie had watched Gabriel leaving, her face still warm, and nodded. “ _ He was. _ ”

 

Nathalie Sancoeur was selfish, but she couldn’t help falling in love. That was the excuse she told herself the day that Emilie had bounded into her bedroom late at night as she was reading, a wide grin on her face, a flush on her cheeks, and a ring on her finger.

 

“ _ He asked me to marry him! _ ” Emilie had exclaimed, twirling around. “ _ Oh, Nat, isn’t it  _ wonderful _? _ ”

 

Nathalie had smiled and nodded, doing her best to not let the pain from her sinking heart show on her face. She had patted the spot on her bed next to her and demanded all the details from her friend, ensuring that she didn’t let her anger, or her sadness, or her frustration shine through.

 

Nathalie Sancoeur was selfish. She tried to be happy, but the day of her best friend’s wedding was one of the worst days of her life.

 

The way Emilie glided down the aisle, the way  _ Gabriel _ smiled softly at her, the way Emilie  _ beamed _ at him, it all felt like another stab in her heart. She had stood at Emilie’s side and watched with a smile that wasn’t real as her  _ best friend _ kissed Gabriel Agreste, and became his wife, Emilie Agreste.

 

That night, Nathalie had envisioned Gabriel’s smiling face staring into Emilie’s own, and sobbed for the first time in living memory as she wished that it had been  _ her _ instead.

 

Emilie had convinced Gabriel to hire Nathalie as his personal secretary, and that had been another blow that she didn’t even want to think about. But, it meant that she lived in the Agreste mansion with them, and so she had agreed and stayed. Maybe it was for selfish reasons, but she stayed.

 

Nathalie had been setting up her room the day after moving in when Emilie had barged inside and announced that they were going out together.

 

“ _ Is Monsieur Agreste coming? _ ” Nathalie had asked, trying to keep her voice as level as possible.

 

Emilie had grinned and shaken her head. “ _ Just you and me _ .”

 

Nathalie had turned away to make sure that Emilie couldn’t see the shift in her expression before she looked back at her friend with a steady smile and said, “ _ That sounds great _ .”

 

The two had gone out to the countryside and gotten there as the sun was beginning to go down, painting the fields with a golden light that made Emilie resemble some sort of angel. Nathalie had torn her eyes away from the wife of Gabriel Agreste and moved instead to set out the bit of food that they had brought.

 

Emilie was down the hill looking at the flowers when Nathalie found it.

 

She had just been trying to find the best place to set out the blanket when she tripped over a rock sticking out of the ground. She had let out a choice stream of curse words (which was rare for her, but that rock  _ hurt _ ) before scanning the ground for the rock.

 

Her eyes had landed on it, and that had been when she had realized that it wasn’t a  _ rock _ . It was a  _ box _ .

 

Nathalie had furrowed her eyebrows and set her things down before leaning down to look at it.

 

“ _ Hey, Nat _ ,” Emilie had chirped when she arrived at the top of the hill. “ _ What’re you looking at? _ ”

 

The two women had stared down at the box before Emilie had reached toward it and had begun to try and dig it out.

 

“ _ Emilie, what are you doing? _ ” Nathalie had exclaimed, grabbing her friend’s wrist.

 

“ _ Come on, Nat, we’ve gotta see what this is! _ ”

 

The two had worked to dig it out, their food forgotten, and finally pulled it out of the ground just as the sun fully dipped below the horizon.

 

“ _ What is it? _ ” Nathalie had breathed, her fingers tracing over the strange symbols on the box in Emilie’s arms. They were both covered in dirt, but neither particularly cared.

 

“ _ I… think I saw Gabriel looking at something like this once, _ ” Emilie had said quietly, her brow furrowing. “ _ We should bring it to him. _ ”

 

Gabriel had, indeed, known what it was, and had managed to open it to. He was more excited that Nathalie had ever seen him, his eyes glinting as he looked down at the two pieces of jewelry in the box, one a calm white brooch that looked like fairy or butterfly wings, the other a shocking blue and green one that reminded Nathalie of a peacock.

 

“ _ What are they, dear? _ ” Emilie had asked, clinging to her husband’s arm as they looked down at the brooches, an action that filled Nathalie with a sense of inexplicable rage.

 

“ _ They, darling, are what I’ve been looking for for a  _ very _ long time _ .”

 

Gabriel never told Emilie or Nathalie why he wanted the two Miraculous originally. They just knew that he did.

 

Emilie had formed an immediate connection to the Peacock Miraculous, and Gabriel had taken the other, the Butterfly Miraculous, for himself, using the simple shape of it in his own brand.

 

Emilie had worn the Peacock Miraculous everywhere, and her husband did the same. He made sure that she knew not to let anyone know what it really was, to never imply it was anything special. Emilie hadn’t argued.

 

Nathalie Sancoeur was selfish. One of the days that Nathalie could always recall most vividly was when, on one day in early spring, Emilie barged into her small office, her eyes wide, one hand on her stomach, the other clutching a pregnancy test so tight her knuckles were white.

 

Nathalie had felt her heart sink.

 

Emilie had sat on the couch in Nathalie’s office, sobbing her heart out, blabbing on about whether or not she was ready, crying out her fears, her excitements, her hopes, and Nathalie’s heart clenched with each word, her mind flicking between the woman in front of her and the man across the mansion who was none the wiser.

 

Nathalie had been there when Emilie told Gabriel, and she had forced herself to look away as the couple embraced, because if she looked any longer, she might start to cry, and she was  _ not _ going to do that.

 

Marinette Agreste had been born a bit early, one minute after the stroke of midnight, 12:01 in the morning on October 8.

 

Nathalie Sancoeur was selfish. She had thought that at first that she wouldn’t be able to look at this child. The daughter of her best friend and  _ Gabriel Agreste _ . But, she had.

 

The first time she saw Marinette, Nathalie was a bit shocked.

 

“ _ They’re running DNA tests as we speak _ .”

 

Gabriel’s voice had shocked Nathalie, who had turned away from the girl sleeping in Emilie’s arms, both mother and daughter completely unconscious.

 

“ _ Why? _ ”

 

Gabriel had raised an eyebrow. “ _ I thought you were smart, Nathalie. Emilie and I are both  _ very _ light-haired. That child has the most raven hair I’ve ever seen. _ ” His fists had clenched. “ _ If those tests come back and...  _ “ He had paused, his fists relaxing slowly. “ _ I assure you, it won’t be pretty. _ ”

 

Nathalie had felt her heart pound painfully as she spoke, every word hurting, but she said them anyway. “ _ Emilie would never do that. That child is yours. _ ”

 

Gabriel had looked at her with an observant eye, and she had turned her attention to Emilie refusing to look at him, her face heating as she felt his eyes scanning her.

 

“ _ We’ll see _ .”

 

As Nathalie had thought, the child was Gabriel’s, through and through. He suspected that dark hair was from the Butterfly Miraculous, its influence seeping through into Marinette’s genes, while the odd blue tones that appeared whenever light shined on her hair must have come from the Peacock Miraculous’s influence.

 

“ _ Isn’t she beautiful? _ ” Emilie had asked one day when Marinette was a few weeks as Nathalie sat with her on the couch in one of the sitting rooms.

 

Nathalie Sancoeur was selfish. Nathalie had looked down at the tiny girl, and those blue eyes moved from her mother to Nathalie herself, and she had frozen as a shimmer that she had seen in Emilie’s eyes appeared. Those eyes stared into her very soul, and they reminded Nathalie so strikingly of Gabriel that she let out a breathy laugh to break the tension and nodded. “ _ She is. _ ”

 

It seemed like Marinette would grow to be the star model of her father’s brand. She had a natural grace about her that was rivaled only by Emilie herself. Her features were perfect for it, and Gabriel mentioned it to Nathalie and his wife as soon as Marinette was able to walk.

 

When she was four, Gabriel had her brought in for her first modeling gig.

 

And it went  _ horribly _ .

 

Marinette had just  _ refused to listen _ . She wouldn’t hear what Gabriel was saying, consistently saying that she wanted to go home, that she wanted to go  _ design _ , that she  _ didn’t want to model. _

 

Gabriel had turned to Nathalie and said, “ _ Call Emilie _ .”

 

Emilie had arrived an hour later after her own gig for the same line was finished and sweeped into the room elegantly, gathering her daughter up in her arms. Marinette wouldn’t model on her own, though, even with Emilie there. Eventually, Gabriel had put Emilie into the pictures as well, and the resulting photos of mother and daughter were  _ great _ .

 

But Marinette was not the kind of person to listen to others. She chose her own path, and she insisted that said path was  _ not _ modeling. So, instead, Gabriel had grabbed up a new young model who had just entered the industry through a modeling summer camp.

 

A young boy named Adrien Agreste, who was less than three months older than Marinette, but so willing to listen to everything that the photographers told him to do. So, Adrien became the new face of  _ Gabriel _ .

 

Nathalie interacted with Adrien more than any of the other models (other than Emilie and Marinette, if you counted the younger girl). He was soft-spoken, but that didn’t make him weak. Gabriel had pulled him into the modeling industry so young, though, that he was homeschooled, and he didn’t really have a life outside of modeling that she could see.

 

Nathalie spoke with Emilie one night about Adrien.

 

“ _ That poor boy _ ,” Emilie had sighed. “ _ I was lucky to have you before I got fully into the industry. He’s so young, though… _ ”

 

Nathalie had nodded before saying, “ _ I’ve met his parents, though. They own a bakery. They told me he does extra activities, and he talks to the customers. They want him to have as normal a childhood as he can with his modeling career. He probably got the best parents he could out of this to deal with this sort of thing _ .”

 

That had seemed to pacify Emilie as she had offered a small smile before turning back to her book. 

 

When Marinette’s modeling career didn’t end up working out, Emilie had argued adamently with her husband until he had finally permitted Marinette to attend public school. 

 

Nathalie had to work out Marinette’s schedule, of course, and Gabriel had made her put in specific  _ free days  _ for his daughter to be allowed to do what she wanted. When Marinette turned ten, Gabriel put even more emphasis on her studies and limited her free days even more. If there was a day that she wasn’t supposed to be out and she wanted to, she had to notify her father in advance for permission.

 

“ _ I just wish I could give her more freedom, Nat _ ,” Emilie had said one night after Marinette had been forbidden to go to a classmate’s birthday party and had gone off to cry. Emilie had consoled her daughter before joining Nathalie in the small sitting room only the two of them used.

 

“ _ Why don’t you? _ ”

 

Emilie had sighed. “ _ It was near impossible for me to convince Gabriel to let her go to  _ school _ , Nathalie. I don’t want to do something that could put her freedom to go to school at risk. _ ”

 

Thankfully, Marinette found a love of designing, and she spent much of her free time creating new clothes. Gabriel was always going to be upset that she hadn’t gone into modeling fully, but Nathalie believed that the fact that his daughter was skilled in fashion designing pacified him at least a bit.

 

Marinette was still forced to model a bit, and Nathalie hated the way the girl would glare at her whenver she told her that she had a shoot. It wasn’t often, but it was enough that Nathalie had to remind herself that it was modeling that Marinette hated, not Nathalie herself.

 

Marinette would have to model maybe once a month, at the most. It wasn’t a lot, but it was enough that Marinette would always groan whenever she was told that it was time to model again.

 

Emilie admitted to Nathalie that she sort of agreed with her husband that Marinette would be a  _ very _ good model if she was fully committed to it. She had this look about her in all the photos that they took of her that seemed to just be able to drag you in. She was just  _ too _ free-spirited. She wasn’t interested. Actually, the only way that Gabriel was able to get Marinette to model at all was by bargaining with her and by getting Emilie to beg her daughter.

 

Marinette hadn’t modeled since that fateful day two-and-a-half years ago.

 

If Nathalie was being perfectly honest, the wedding day wasn’t the worst day of her life. Neither was the day that Marinette was born. No, the worst day of her life, the day she can recall as being the moment everything  _ truly _ went downhill, was the day that Emilie Agreste disappeared.

 

Nathalie hadn’t known why, but Gabriel had been incredibly upset a few days after Emilie had left for Tibet. He wouldn’t tell her anything, except when he told her to bring a twelve-year-old Marinette to his office.

 

Nathalie had known that she wasn’t supposed to listen in on what was most likely meant to be a very personal conversation between family, but she had a bad feeling in her stomach, and so, instead of tuning it out, she listened through the door as Gabriel spoke to his daughter.

 

As Gabriel told Marinette that Emilie was  _ gone _ .

 

Nathalie remembered painfully how her heart had pounded, how her blood had run cold. She had walked away briskly as she heard Marinette begin to sob, soft thumps sounding like she might actually be  _ attacking _ her father. Nathalie had moved out of the foyer of the mansion, into the hallway her bedroom was down, and then she had  _ ran _ to her room, slipping inside, closing the door, and sliding down the wall to the floor. She had held her hand over her mouth, squeezing her eyes closed, and sobbing her heart out.

 

That day had been a blur. That  _ week _ had been a blur. Marinette was home more because her father had pulled her from school on certain days in the week for when she had attacked him after finding out about what happened to Emilie.

 

Then, one day, Gabriel had called Nathalie into his office.

 

“ _ Yes, sir? _ ”

 

“ _ Nathalie, _ ” he had said, nodding at her as she entered and closed the door behind her. He had looked exhausted ever since Emilie had disappeared.

 

“ _ What did you need, sir? _ ”

 

Gabriel had stared at her over his hands for a moment before he had sighed, reached under his desk, and pressed a button. Suddenly, the wall behind his desk slid open, and Nathalie almost jumped into the air in shock. Instead, she had turned and looked at the opening. It looked like some sort of… elevator.

 

“ _ Come _ .”

 

Nathalie had calmly followed him. The elevator was smooth and brought them down, down, down, below the mansion. The door slid open, and Nathalie followed her boss down the walkway to the end of the large room. He led her to a sort of pod, and she looked inside and saw  _ Emilie _ .

 

“ _ What the hell? _ ” She had asked, forgetting her manners as she turned to Gabriel. “ _ What the hell is she doing down here? Why… She was gone, you said so yourself! Why is she  _ here? _ Why isn’t she awake? _ ”

 

“ _ A coma _ ,” Gabriel had responded cooly. 

 

“ _...How? _ ”

 

“ _ The Peacock Miraculous is damaged, _ ” Gabriel had said quietly. “ _ It was killing her. It all came to a head in Tibet and the Miraculous did this to her. No one else knows. You may not tell anyone. _ ”

 

“ _ Will she ever wake up _ .”

 

He had scowled. “ _ Not without help. This pod will keep her safe until I can bring her back _ .”

 

“ _ How will you do that? _ ”

 

“ _ The two most powerful Miraculous are those of the Ladybug earrings and the Black Cat ring. The Ladybug is that of creation, the Black Cat is that of destruction. When they are used together, they grant the user unimaginable power. Any wish the weilder wants is granted. _ ”

 

Nathalie’s heart had pounded.  _ Emilie could come back _ . She had turned to Gabriel and watched as he looked at her comatose best friend. 

 

Nathalie Sancoeur was selfish.

 

Her face heated a bit before she asked, “ _ How can I help? _ ”

 

He hadn’t asked much of her yet, except when he akumatized himself into Collector. So, she kept her other promise. The one she had made to Emilie the day after Marinette was born.

 

Her best friend’s voice still rang in her mind. “ _ Nathalie… If anything ever happens to me… Promise me,  _ promise me _ that you’ll keep Marinette safe. _ ”

 

Nathalie had stared into her friend’s eyes and nodded. “ _ Of course _ .”

 

So, she did. She tried to manuever Marinette’s schedule to allow her as much free time as possible without Gabriel noticing. It didn’t work that much, but it was something. It scared Nathalie sometimes how little Gabriel really seemed to care for his daughter. Sometimes, he would do things that really made her think that he loved her, deep down, somewhere, but other times, she wasn’t so sure.

 

Today was one of those times.

 

Because now she stood, glued to the television in her office that was showing live feed of  _ Marinette Agreste falling through the sky, toward her death _ . Nathalie wanted to run to Gabriel, to tell him to let Chat Noir go, to let him save her, but she knew she wouldn’t reach him in time. Instead, she just stood there, watching as the girl she had promised to keep safe fell to her death.

 

Then, suddenly, Gorizilla had released Chat Noir, and he had rocketed down and saved Marinette mere seconds before she was going to smash into the ground.

 

Nathalie sank back into the couch behind her and released a breath before tears began to spill down her cheeks as she had the realization that, if they had never managed to wake up Emilie, this morning might have been the last time she saw her best friend’s smile. The smile that she shared with her daughter.

 

Later that evening, Nathalie strolled into Gabriel’s office unannounced for one of the first times.

 

“Nathalie,” he said, looking up from his desk to her and carefully raising an eyebrow. “What an… unexpected surprise.”

 

“Why did you do that earlier?”

 

Gabriel blinked and sat up a bit straighter. “What are you talking about?”

 

“The… The whole thing with… with Marinette? You just were going to let her  _ die _ , Gabriel!” She used his name, but he ignored it in favor of looking a bit ashamed.

 

“I suspected that she might be Ladybug,” Gabriel admitted. Nathalie froze. “I let her fall under the assumption that she would transform. She didn’t, so I let Chat Noir go to catch her. She’s fine, she’s in her room, if you want to go see her.”

 

Nathalie shook her head. She would do that later.

 

“I coul report you to the police, you know,” she said without really meaning to.

 

Gabriel looked up at her suddenly and asked, “Will you?”

 

Nathalie Sancoeur was selfish.

 

Nathalie stared into his eyes, her heart panged, and she closed her eyes, shaking her head. “No. I won’t.”

 

Gabriel sat back and nodded. “I believe you.” After a moment, he said, “Get out, Nathalie.”

 

She nodded and left.

 

Nathalie made her way to Marinette’s bedroom without fully realizing what she was doing.

 

“Marinette?” She asked, knocking lightly on the door. 

 

After a moment, she heard a soft, “Come in.”

 

Marinette’s hair was tied into a side-braid for sleeping, and she reminded Nathalie painfully of Emilie at that moment, who had done her hair the exact same way whenever she would head off to sleep.

 

“Yes, Nathalie?” Marinette asked, sitting up straight as she had been taught to do. 

 

“Just wanted to check up on you,” Nathalie said, stepping into the room and closing the door behind her. She took a few steps toward Marinette on her bed and stood in front of the girl.

 

“I’m all right, if that’s what you’re asking,” Marinette replied stiffly. “A little shaken up, but I’m all right.”

 

Nathalie pursed her lips and nodded. “I was worried about you, you know.”

 

Marinette looked up at her suddenly, her piercing blue eyes seeming to stare into Nathalie’s soul.

 

“You were?”

 

Nathalie nodded firmly. “I was.”

 

Marinette cracked a smile, and for one of the first times in recent memory, it looked genuine.

 

“Well, thank you, Nathalie. I’m all right, I assure you.” She paused and then said a bit more quietly, as if she was speaking to herself, “I’m all right.”

 

Nathalie nodded and then felt a wave of something come over her. In a moment of weakness, she swept forward and embraced the daughter of her best friend and  _ Gabriel Agreste _ .

 

Marinette stiffened before her arms moved up and returned the embrace. Nathalie stepped away after a moment, and Marinette seemed to be staring at her in a new way. The girl had always been good at shielding her emotions, but she seemed so raw and  _ young _ at that moment that it  _ hurt _ .

 

“Goodnight, Marinette,” Nathalie managed to say before fleeing from the room with as much poise as she could muster.

 

“Goodnight, Nathalie,” she heard behind her before she slid the door closed.

 

Later that night, Nathalie sat on her bed, preparing to go to sleep, and thinking about how she really  _ should _ call the police.

 

But, then again…

 

Nathalie Sancoeur was selfish.

 

_ Especially _ when it came to love.

 

Calling the police would be the best option for Marinette. It would keep the girl the safest, it would fulfill her promise to Emilie the most. It would be the right thing to do.

 

But Nathalie Sancoeur was selfish.

 

And, so, she didn’t call anyone. Instead, she sat on her bed, tears spilling from her eyes and streaming down her face, lamenting everything.

 

Lamenting that she was too  _ selfish _ to do what was right. To do what was best, to help Paris and Marinette.

 

Lamenting that Emilie had ever gotten married to  _ Gabriel _ . That she had married Gabriel and inadvertently caused all of the problems.

 

And, most of all, she lamented the fact that she, Nathalie Sancoeur, had fallen in love with Emilie Beaulieu, had stayed in love when she was Emilie Agreste, and had broken her promisr the only person she had ever loved.

 

But if she reported Gabriel, Emilie would never have any chance of being saved. Nathalie would never see her again. So, she said nothing.

 

Because Nathalie Sancoeur was selfish.

 

Selfish and in love with the one person she could never have.

 

She was selfish and in love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, yeah, Nathalie's in love with Emilie in this AU, not Gabriel, which will be very important to the plot in the future.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed! If you did, or if you didn't, leave a comment! I'd love to see your thoughts!
> 
> -Evie


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